We wandered up to the Village Church!! To do some care-taking, tidying and nurturing!! Taking down some of the overgrown branches!! The Church Wardens invited us to Forage some beautiful Crab Apples, the Tree was Ancient! The Village Church and grounds has such a beautiful feel to it!! The people their are warm, and make time to talk and have a natter!! Their was a wonderful little honesty bench sitting beside the church! With some lovely chutneys and jams!! Dad got us some lovely looking jars of Lemon Marmalade!! Can’t wait to try it!! Their is a labyrinth sitting in the south east side of the Crab Apple Tree!! It has such a presence and feel to it!!! Before we left Dad walked it!! In the center, their is a simple altar of flowers!! The Church and Village I have known the whole of my life!! It’s a place that sits in the Modern world yet its roots and values are firmly anchored in the old world!!! We wandered down the path!! Stopping for a while beside Nanny and Granddad!! Surrounding them are friends and people Dad has known and worked with!!! Dad sharing stories ,experiences and memories!! Precious and humbling!! As we left the sun was low and we returned to work on Marianne!! Restoring Our 1959 Wooden Sailing Dingy.
Crab Apple Jelly Ingredients
4 kg crab apples
1 kg caster sugar
1 lemon, juiced
Makes 6 x 500ml jars - or use these proportions.
Method
STEP 1 Wash the apples, removing any bruised fruit. Put in a saucepan, fill with water to just cover the apples.
STEP 2 Bring to the boil and simmer until the fruit is soft (about 30 minutes).
STEP 3 Pour the pulp into a jelly bag or several layers of muslin and let drip overnight into a pan. Do NOT squeeze the bag or it will make the juice cloudy.
STEP 4 The next day, measure the juice, and add sugar in the ratio of 10 parts juice to 7 of sugar. Add some lemon juice, then bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
STEP 5 Keep at a rolling boil for 40 minutes, skimming off the froth. To test the set, chill a dessertspoon in the refrigerator.
STEP 6 When the jelly is set, it will solidify on the back of the spoon. Pour into warm, sterilised preserving jars and tightly seal while still slightly warm. Store in a cool dark place.