Autumn Apply Jelly (Gelée de Pomme Française)

The beautiful translucent color of this apple jelly shown in a photograph online led to exceptions being made to paleo guidelines for this post. Chef David Lebovitz's easy recipe called for 4 cups of strained apple juice, 3 cups of sugar (3 cups is our usual amount for six cakes), 1/4 cup lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon of brandy (no alcohol on paleo). I hesitated to post it (luckily we are 'paleo-inspired'), but it's sooo good. Lebovitz shared charming stories of foraging for apples in the French countryside but if you're not up for apple picking this year, the farmers' market will have just what you need.

Ingredients:

4 pounds apples total: About 3 pounds red: Honey Crisp, Ambrosia, Gala, Pink Lady, etc.; and about 1 pound green: Granny Smith (for pectin)

5 cups water

3 cups pure cane sugar

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 teaspoon brandy or cognac

Directions:

1. Rinse the apples and cut them coarsely into chunks. Put the apples, core and seeds, into a large stockpot. 

2. Add the water and bring to a boil. When bubbling, reduce the heat a bit, leave the lid askew, and cook for 20-30 minutes until the apples are tender and cooked through.

3. Line a mesh colander with cheese cloth or a cloth towel. Place over a large pot. Ladle the apples and water into the colander and allow to drip for 3 hours to overnight (best). Do not press on the applies (the jelly will be cloudy), just allow them to drip naturally. The result should be four cups of liquid after they have thoroughly drained.

When ready to make the jelly: place two small plates in the freezer for testing to see when the jelly is done. A candy thermometer is recommended to test the temperature, but not required.

For the jars: The finished jelly will make about 3 cups total (my second batch made 2 1/2 cups). Assemble the jars and lids. To keep the jelly in the refrigerator for about 3 months, prepare the jars in the microwave, oven, or dishwasher (link here) or your preferred method. To can the jelly, see link here for jar preparation.

4. To make the jelly, measure out 4 cups of juice and add to a non-reactive medium pot. Fit the pot with a candy thermometer if you have one. Add the sugar and lemon juice, and bring to a boil. Keeping a soft boil, ladle off any foam that may appear on top.

5. Cook until the temperature reaches 220ºF (about 20 minutes). Turn off the heat, ladle a small amount on one of the chilled plates, and return to the freezer. In a few minutes, push the jelly with your finger or a spoon to see if small ripples form and it holds its shape. If it isn't jelling, continue boiling the mixture and test and re-test at intervals until it is the right consistency. My batch set at about 224ºF.

9. When the jelly has set, remove the pot from stove. Add the liquor, ladle into clean jars, and cap tightly. Store appropriately.

#jelly #apples #breakfast #fall #harvest #goodeats

Recipe adapted from David Lebovitz here.