Superior Barberry Jelly, and Marmalade
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the fruit
Strip the barberries from the stems and wash them in spring water, then drain the barberries.
Bruise the fruit slightly.
Place the bruised fruit in a clean stone jar with minimal liquid.
Steam the jar in a pan of water until the fruit is tender, about 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Make the marmalade
Pour off the clear juice and strain the juice.
Weigh the juice.
Boil the juice rapidly for 5 to 7 minutes with 18 ounces of sugar for every pound of juice.
Press the barberries through a sieve with a wooden spoon.
Boil quickly for the same time with the same amount of sugar.
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 bulk of the fruit, along with their natural pectin and tart acidity that help the marmalade set.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the marmalade and, when boiled, helps it thicken and set.
The step that matters
Boil the juice rapidly. Rapid boiling with sugar drives off water and concentrates the pectin and sugar so the marmalade sets. Boiling too gently or too briefly can leave it runny, while overcooking can make it dark and sticky.
“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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