Mint
This year I have had an absence of mint - for one reason or another it just has not grown but thanks to my friend Rowan I now have some growing in the garden. I have lost about four varieties all told this last winter. However the new plant it is going to take sometime to establish itself. Thank you so much Rowan.
I don't know about you but when I do not have mint fresh in the garden I frequently buy a bunch or so and then do not get to chop it up and pop it up in my ice cube trays for the winter months. I am going to have to do better on that score and one of my biggest bug bears is wasting stuff.
Of course I love the freshness of mint sauce and preparing it straight from the garden is one of the nicest ways of pepping up your food. Here is a post I prepared earlier on making fresh mint sauce.
I also use it in home made raita to serve with a hot curry is another way of using this aromatic herb. But I do try to put loads down in different ways for use during the winter months as it is easily to hand then and being as my partner has no rules when it comes to mint sauce - it soon gets depleted rapidly.
One of the ways that I preserve mint is in what is known as a long keeping store cupboard version and yet again I have written a previous post about it just here
There are further posts scattered throughout the blog to search for them just type in the word "mint".
However I cannot remember whether or not I have popped up a recipe for Mint Jelly. The other week when I got the freebie Jams, Jellies and Marmalade recipes by Certo (the pectin manufacturer) I came across a mint jelly recipe that sounds a little different to the versions I have made before and being as I have no cooking apples at the moment I thought that I might well try this and see what it turns out like.
MINT JELLY
Ingredients:
A large bunch of mint (approximately 2oz/60g)
1lb/450g sugar
1/2 pint/290ml of white vinegar
Green colouring
1 bottle of Certo
Method:
Wash the mint thoroughly and divide into two identical bunches.
Take the leaves from one bunch squeeze out the surplus water and chop finely. Leave the other bunch whole Put the vinegar and sugar into a saucepan with the second bunch of mint and stir over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Remove the bunch of mint and bring to the boil for one minute. Strain the syrup through a muslin and return to the saucepan.
Stir in the Certo bring to the boil and boil for approximately 2 minutes, Add the chopped mint and colouring.
Allow to cool slightly to prevent the mint from floating.
Skim pot and cover in the usual way.
Makes approximately 1 1/2lb of jelly.
At the rate my oh eats it I think I will be doubling up the recipe in order to create a stockpile for the pantry as we really do use a lot as well as making it the more traditional way under vinegar. This is on the agenda to make at the end of the week. I have the vinegar and the sugar but just need the mint and it will be getting my timing right with the fresh delivery over at the Asian foodstore/papershop. The fresher the mint the better.
I thought I would share this recipe though as I can foresee it being a useful little recipe for the pantry shelf. More like the commercial varieties but more for your money.
Hope you have a good day; think of me slaving away at work.
Catch you soon.
Pattypan
x
Comments
Post a Comment
Hello, thank you for popping by