Apple and Lavender Jelly

Ingredients:

1.8kg cooking apples (Bramleys are excellent or you can use wilding apples and windfalls work very well)
45g dried culinary lavender flowers (Lavandula angustifolia)
1.2l water
freshly grated zest of 1 lemon
juice of 1 lemon
white granulated sugar — you will need 450g sugar per 500ml of juice

Method:

Wash the apples, cut off any bruises then chop roughly (no need to peel and core). Combine the apples with the lemon zest, lavender flowers and lemon juice in a large pan. Add the water and gently bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for about 30 minutes, or until the fruit is soft and mushy.

Pour the cooked fruit mixture either through a jelly bag, or through a large fine-meshed sieve lined with several layers of muslin (boil the muslin to sterilize before use). Cover with a tea cloth and leave to drip through to your collecting vessel over night (do not be tempted to push the fruit through with a spoon as this will make the jelly cloudy).

The following morning discard the fruit (I tend to freeze them to make pies later) then measure the volume of the liquid and add 90g sugar per 100ml of fluid.

Place the juice and the sugar in a saucepan, heat through then add the sugar, stirring until completely dissolved. Bring to a boil and cook rapidly for about 15 minutes. Test for setting by placing a plate in the fridge. Spoon a little of the jelly onto the plate, allow to cook then move it with your fingernail. If a crinkly skin forms then the jelly is ready. If not continue boiling for 5 minutes more and test again.

Skim the surface then ladle into sterilized jars that have been warmed in an oven set to 110°C for 15 minutes. Allow 1cm of head space then secure the lid, allow to cool and store.