All this good weather has enticed me to spend time exploring the footpaths of Dartmoor, where I live.
Instead of writing posts on this blog! Now that autumn has arrived I have been enjoying foraging for hedgerow fruits to make jellies, so I can't resist sharing the joy of Jellies.
The rowan trees seem to be especially laden this year so last week I picked rowan berries to make a Rowan Jelly.
It is a beautiful colour and has a delicate, slightly bitter taste. I like it for breakfast on toast with a bit of soft goats cheese. It would also be lovely with roast meats. One recipe I looked at was infused with rosemary, which would be perfect with something like a roast lamb.
At the weekend I discovered blackberry heaven when out walking. It was a field with conveniently spaced bushes laden with huge blackberries. Three of us picked enough blackberries in about fifteen minutes to make six pots of delicious Bramble Jelly.
I added some lemon juice and a cooking apple to help the set for both jellies. The recipe consisted of simply boiling up the fruit (barely covered with water) until soft and then straining the liquid through a bit of muslin. I left it to drip overnight.
The liquid is then combined with sugar in the proportion of 1lb of sugar to 1pint of liquid.
It is good to heat the sugar slightly (5 minutes in a low oven) before adding it to the liquid and it is important to stir it over a low heat until the sugar is dissolved, before bringing it up to the boil and simmering until setting point is reached. It should take around 30 minutes or more. You can test it by putting a teaspoon full on a saucer which has been chilled in the fridge and see if it begins to wrinkle when pushed. When it is ready, let it cool slightly and then pour in to sterilised jars.
To sterilise the jars, the easiest way is to wash and dry them, then put them in a medium oven for 5 minutes.
Exercise, fresh air, wonderful scenery and free food. Dartmoor foraging is highly recommended!
