Crab Apple Jelly

Ingredients

750g crab or Bramley apples
250g dessert apples (with red on the skin)
2 lemons (juiced)
750g granulated sugar
8 cardamom pods
50ml brandy or Calvados

Instructions

Chop all the apples, (including skin and cores), put in a large saucepan, cOver with cold water. Add half of the lemon juice. Simmer for 30 minutes until the fruit is collapsed. Strain the whole lot through a jelly bag overnight (or a colander lined with muslin). Next day for every litre of juice use 750g sugar, put in a large jam pan as it will rise up when it comes to the boil. Add the other half of lemon juice. Bash the cardamom seeds in a mortar and pestle, shake out the seeds, discard the pods, and add seeds to your mixture. Simmer the mixture, stirring often. If you have a jam thermometer you want 105 degrees Centigrade. Otherwise use chilled saucers to test for a ‘set, this is when your jelly wrinkles when pushed with your finger after being dropped onto a cold saucer. You might have to repeat this test a few times. When you get the ‘wrinkle’, stir in the brandy and ladle into warm sterilised jars. Stored in a cool dark place, It will keep about 12 weeks, and once opened refrigerate and use within 3 weeks.