Mint jelly recipe
Posted by Fiona Nevile in Jam Jelly and Preserves | 38 comments
Jars of homemade mint jelly
I slipped on my golden boots (only joking) and rustled this up yesterday when rain stopped play in the garden. I’d researched apple mint jelly in the meantime and discovered that cooking apples give a better overall flavour (Bramleys ideally if you live in the UK). I also needed to use and a lot more vinegar than I thought.
This recipe tastes like a jelly equivalent of homemade mint sauce, minty and full of flavour but much more delicate than the in your face commercially produced mint sauce. I also ‘saved’ the jars of mint jelly that tasted like tea, adding more vinegar and sugar. Not quite as good as this recipe, as I used eating apples and lemon juice but still tasty.
I’ve also described two methods. One for those who don’t have a steam juicer and use a jelly bag one for those who are lucky to have a steam juicer (like me).
The left over apple must looked so glorious that it seemed to be a shame to chuck it away. One of the sauces that I love with pork or fatty meat is apple sauce but generally never seem to have an apple to hand when the joint is roasting in the oven. So I will be making apple sauce with the left over apple pulp tomorrow. Look out for the recipe in a couple of day’s time.
You will need a heavy bottomed saucepan or Maslin pan
| Mint jelly recipe |
- 1.8 kilos (4 pounds) of cooking apples (Bramleys are ideal).
- 20g (3/4 ounce or 3/4 cup) bunch of mint tied with string
- 50g (1 3/4 ounces or 2 cups) of mint leaves chopped fine
- 570ml / 1 UK pint (2 1/2 cups) of water
- 570ml / 1 UK pint (2 1/2 cups) of white wine vinegar
- Sugar at a ratio of 454g (1 pound) to 570ml of liquid – a pound to a UK pint of liquid (2 1/2 cups)
- Prepare the apples. Don’t peel or core, just chop into chunky pieces and remove any pips that have been cut as these can make the juice bitter.
- Method 1: Jelly bag method
- Add the apple chunks to a large heavy bottomed saucepan.
- Add the bunch of mint and the pint of water.
- Simmer (lid on) until the apples look fluffy and are entirely soft.
- Strain through a jelly bag overnight.
- Measure the amount of apple juice and add 4/5ths of white wine vinegar (e.g. 715ml/1 pint and a quarter of juice would need 570ml/1 pint of vinegar – 2 1/2 cups of vinegar to 3 cups of water).
- Method 2: Fruit steamer
- Put the apple chunks and the bunch of mint into the top of your fruit steamer and fill the lowest saucepan at least three quarters full of water (I do this and let it heat up as I chop the apples).
- Steam the apples and mint until you have a UK pint and a quarter of apple juice (715 ml or 3 cups)
- Pour the extracted juice through a very fine sieve or piece of muslin.
- Then the process is the same for both methods.
- Put the juice and the vinegar into a heavy bottomed saucepan. Heat gently.
- Add white granulated sugar 454g to 570ml of liquid / 1 pound to 1 pint (2 1/2 cups) and stir until you are absolutely sure that all the sugar has been dissolved.
- Bring to a rolling boil and test for set after 20 minutes. Testing every four minutes thereafter. If you have a jam thermometer – my jelly set at 103c (217f).
- When the jelly has set, remove from the heat and stir in the chopped mint.
- Leave the jelly for at least 10 minutes before giving it a final stir and ladling into hot sterilised jars.
- Wipe the tops of the jars, seal immediately and label when cold.
- Store in a dark dry place. This should keep for at least a year.
Leave a reply
Can you use apple cider vinegar
Why do I have to have nine sheets of paper and a waste of ink for your recipe
Why not just copy/paste the bits you need into a Word doc, then print.
Yes, Elizabeth, the perfect answer. Thanks!
Hello Elizabeth, real sugar like salt is a preservative. You need proper sugar here, I think.
Can I use malt vinegar for this recipe please?
Hello all – I am new to jam making and having had the most spectacular harvest of massive cooking apples I have made lots of apple based jam and jelly along with other fruits,my apple and damson has been a massive hit amongst my family – its been far more apple than damson …. I have also made apple and chilli jelly with its lovely coloured chilli flakes dotted throughout the jar it looks fab – yesterday I got adventurous and tried what I am going to label as Christmas Jam, apple, sultana, ginger and cinnamon – it looks nice but think maybe its not got a strong enough taste so may be renamed ‘hint of christmas jam’!
I am half way through this apple and mint jelly – having dripped the juice overnight – thanks for the tip on mint distribution – very helpful…..
Apple and elderberries make the most amazing jelly…..
With a glut of apples and a forest of mint I’m going to give this a try. Do you measure sugar in relation to the entire liquid (ie apple juice and vinegar), or just the volume of the apple juice?
David – I’m not the expert here but in case no one else gets back to you I follow the advice given in River Cottage Recipes by Pam Corbin who suggests 450g sugar to 600ml juice. This seems to work well for most jelly recipes but try tasting it before bringing to rolling boil and add more if necessary. Reading through above recipe again I think Fiona means entire liquid and I see her calculations are very similar to River Cottages. Fiona suggests 454g sugar to 570ml so try this and see how it goes – good luck.
Sorry I can’t help as have no experience and no medical knowledge so would be risky to give advice which could affect someones health. I did a Google search for making sugarless jam though and several results popped up which related to this so if I was you I would have a look at those. Only other suggestion is to go to a website dedicated to diabetes and ee if they have recipes. Sorry I couldn’t offer any other advice but I’m sure someone out there will be able to.
CAN ANY ONE HELP PLEASE. I NEED A SUGARLESS RECIPE FOR JAM MAKING AND CHUTNEY’S.
HUBBY IS DIABETIC
Canderel?
do you calculate the sugar ratio by the total amount of liquid (apple juice plus vinegar), or just the amount of strained apple juice?
Hi Lorraine
It’s the total amount of liquid (apple juice and vinegar).
Hello, Im needing a recipe for the left over apple mush or its got to go in the bin tomorrow! thanks for all the lovely recipes I have yet to try the pickled nasturtium seeds but they do smell good!
Hi Natalie
How about making apple cheese?
Ah – right. I’ll give that a go next time. Thanks for sharing that tip and the lovely recipe. Much appreciated.