Crab-Apple Jelly

Two ingredients. That’s all it takes for a jelly with a color so deep and rosy it looks like stained glass in the jar. Crabapples are loaded with natural pectin, so there’s no need for store-bought pectin or any additives. Just fruit, sugar, and patience.

The whole fruit goes into the pot, skins and all. Those skins are where most of the pectin and color live, so don’t peel them. Cook until soft, then let the juice drip through a jelly bag without squeezing. Squeezing forces pulp through and clouds the jelly. Clear, jewel-toned jelly comes from letting gravity do the work, even if it takes a few hours.

Boil the juice with sugar until it sheets off a spoon in a wide, flat drip rather than falling in individual drops. That’s your set point.

Kitchen Tips

• Use ⅔ cup sugar per cup of juice. More than that and the jelly is too sweet; less and it may not set.
• Skim any foam off the top while boiling. It won’t hurt anything, but it makes the finished jelly cloudy.
• If you don’t have a jelly bag, line a colander with several layers of cheesecloth.
• Test the set by placing a spoonful on a cold plate. If it wrinkles when you push it, it’s ready.

Variations

• Add a cinnamon stick or a few whole cloves to the juice while boiling for a spiced autumn jelly.
• Stir in a sprig of fresh rosemary during the final boil for an herb-forward version that pairs beautifully with sharp cheese.