Yahoo News Cranberry and gin jelly recipe
A glowing jar of cranberry jelly makes a good present, as it’s bound to be useful on The Day, or else for sandwiches afterwards. This one is spiked with gin, which makes for a sophisticated flavour. Most of the booze is boiled off in the cooking process, but if you want to keep it alcohol-free, omit the final two tablespoonfuls of gin.
Prep time: 30 minutes, plus overnight straining | Cooking time: 50 minutes
MAKES
Four 200ml jars
INGREDIENTS
800g cranberries (fresh or frozen)
800ml water
Black pepper (optional)
Peel from 1 orange
100ml gin plus 2 tbsp
500g sugar
METHOD
Bring the cranberries and water to the boil, adding a grinding of black pepper if you like. Simmer for 20 minutes, then scoop out half a teacupful of whole berries. Keep to one side. Bash the rest with a potato masher or a wooden spoon and simmer for a further 10 minutes.
Line a plastic sieve with muslin or a clean J-cloth-type cloth and sit this over a bowl. Pour in the cranberry mush and leave to drain overnight.
Have ready four scrupulously clean 200ml jars, which you have rinsed with boiling water and allowed to dry.
Cut Christmassy shapes from orange peel, put them in a bowl and cover with boiling water.
Measure the strained cranberry liquid and make it up to 700ml with water. Pour into a pan and add the 100ml gin and sugar. Heat gently then bring to the boil. Boil until it reaches a rolling boil, a furious mass of bubbles rising up to the top of the pan (106C on a thermometer if you have one). Take the pan off the heat and pop a few drops on a cold saucer.
Wait a couple of minutes, then push the puddle of jelly with your fingernail. It should wrinkle – if not, return the pan to the heat and boil again for another minute before testing again.
Once the jelly is ready, ladle it into the jars. Leave to stand until tepid, then with tweezers or a spoon push the orange peel shapes and reserved whole cranberries into the jelly (if you do this while the jelly is too hot they will float to the top).
Leave to cool completely, then put the lids on tightly. Try not to move the jars for 24 hours.
