HAWTHORN BERRY JELLY RECIPES

Steps:

• Pick 1.5lbs of hawthorn berries (haws). This will make 1 jar of hawthorn jelly, so obviously if you need more jars, pick more fruit. Make sure that you remove the stalks. A good way is to simply roll a clump of berries (stalks and all) in between your hands, and you’ll find the haws just roll off. It’s certainly easier than individually pulling off each stalk. Now wash your haws and then drain.
• Put the haws into a heavy saucepan, and cover with 1.5 pints of water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 1 hour. Mash the berries with a potato masher every 20 minutes.
• Now strain the mixture over night using some muslin, or as I did, a jelly bag. To keep the jelly clear do not squeeze the jelly bag, just let the juice drip. If you’re not bothered whether your hawthorn jelly is clear or not then squeeze away.
• For every 1 pint of juice measure out 1lb of sugar. Now squeeze the juice of 1 lemon. Mix the sugar and lemon juice into a heavy saucepan along with the hawthorn juice. Bring the mixture to the boil, stirring continuously until the sugar has dissolved.
• Now rapid boil for 10 minutes until the jelly has reached setting point. Now skim off any foam from the top of the jelly liquid, and pour into sterilised, warm jars and screw on the lids. Eat at will. There is no need to leave the hawthorn jelly for a month or so.

Steps:

• Collect 1.5 lbs of hawthorn berries (haws). This makes approx 1 jar of hawthorn jelly, so if you need more you will need to pick a lot more fruit - it can be time-consuming, but the end result is well worth the effort.Note: we normally collect around 10 lbs of berries for 6 jars.
• Clean all the stalks from the berries, wash and let them drain.A good way to remove the stalks is to simply roll a clump of berries (stalks and all) between your hands, and you'll find the berries just drop off.
• Put the berries in a large heavy saucepan (jam pan) and cover with the water.Bring to the boil and then simmer for 45 mins to 1 hour, stirring from time to time. You can also mash the berries with a potato masher ever 20 mins to help break up the pulp.
• Now strain the pulp overnight into a clear bowl using some muslin or a jelly bag.To keep the jelly clear don't be tempted to squeeze the pulp bag, just let the juice drip. If you’re not bothered whether your jelly is clear or not then you can squeeze the pulp to speed up the process.
• For every 1 pint of juice measure 1 lb of sugar. We have experimented with using less sugar and found the flavour of the hawthorn is much stronger and less sweet, but remember the sugar is a preservative and makes the jelly last longer.
• Squeeze the juice of the lemon and mix with the sugar into a heavy saucepan along with the hawthorn juice. Bring the mixture to the boil, stirring continuously until the sugar has dissolved.Rapid boil for approx 10 minutes until the jelly has reached setting point.
• Skim off any foam from the top of the jelly liquid, and pour into sterilised, warm jars and screw on the lids.When set, the jelly can be eaten straight away, but have found it's best to leave for at least a month.