Rosy quince & cranberry jelly

Contains pork – recipe is for non-Muslims only
This tangy jelly makes a fantastic accompaniment to your Christmas roast turkey, pork pie, ham or cheeseboard – or a gorgeous gift

Prep:30 mins
Cook:1 hrs 45 mins
plus overnight straining

More effort

Nutrition per serving

kcal 46
fat 0g
saturates 0g
carbs 11g
sugars 11g
fibre 0g
protein 0g
salt 0g

Ingredients

4 large quinces, roughly chopped
450g Bramley apples, roughly chopped – don’t worry about coring
450g fresh or frozen cranberries
1kg bag preserving sugar (not with added pectin)
1 tsp rosewater
a few small, fresh bay leaves, to decorate the jars (optional)

Tip

Sterilising your jars

Once your jelly is on the go, heat the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 4 and wash your jars in hot soapy water. Stand upside down, still wet, on a baking tray and leave in the oven for 10-15 mins, then fill while still warm.

Method

Put the quinces, apples and cranberries in a large pan. Cover with water and bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and cook more gently for about 1 hr until the fruit is really soft.
Hang a jelly bag over a large mixing bowl, tip the fruit in and let it drip overnight – don’t be tempted to squeeze the bag, or the pulp will come through and your jelly will be murky.
The next day, measure the amount of juice you have and, for every 1ml of liquid, match with grams of the sugar (so for 500ml you’d need 500g sugar). Tip both into a preserving pan, or large pan, and bring slowly to the boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat once the sugar has gone and boil until it reaches 110C on a sugar thermometer.
Skim any scum off the surface of the liquid, then stir in the rosewater. Ladle into sterilised jars (see below left), adding a bay leaf to each one, if you like, and cover with lids – or wax discs, cellophane and elastic bands.