Barberry Jelly
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the juice
Pick the barberries from the stalks.
Combine barberries and an equal quantity of sugar in a preserving pan.
Simmer gently on low heat, stirring occasionally until the juice is extracted.
Strain the mixture through a fine sieve to collect the juice.
Make the jelly
Boil the juice in a preserving pan over medium-high heat, skimming for about 15 minutes.
To test for doneness, drop a little on a plate and let it cool; if it sets, it's ready. If not set, boil a little longer.
Remove any scum and pour the jelly into pots.
Store
Cover with papers dipped in brandy, tie them down, and store in a dry place.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Barberries
- Provide the tart flavour and natural pectin that help the jelly set.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the jelly and helps it set and keep when boiled with the juice.
The step that matters
Testing for set. Boiling drives off water and concentrates sugar and pectin, so the jelly sets when cool. Judging by appearance alone can lead to under-boiled, runny jelly or over-boiled, stiff jelly, so a cold-plate test is used to check.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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