Sloe Jelly Recipe

Origin: Britain      Period: Traditional

Many forget that sloes are a kind of plum and sloes, though much tarter than eating plums can be employed in many recipes where you might also use plums, as this recipe for sloe jelly demonstrates.

Ingredients

1.2kg or more of ripe sloes
water, as needed
sugar, as needed (75g per 100g of juice)

Sloe Jelly Preparation:

Method:

Wash and clean the sloes then add them to a pan and just cover with water. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook until the fruit are pulpy (about 30 minutes).

Pour the cooked fruit mixture either through a jelly bag, or through a large fine-meshed sieve lined with several layers of muslin (boil the muslin to sterilize before use). Cover with a tea cloth and leave to drip through to your collecting vessel over night (do not be tempted to push the fruit through with a spoon as this will make the jelly cloudy).

The following morning discard the fruit (I tend to freeze them to make pies or sloe gin later) then measure the volume of the liquid and add 75g sugar per 100ml of fluid.

Place the juice and the sugar in a saucepan, heat through then add the sugar, stirring until completely dissolved. Bring to a boil and cook rapidly for about 15 minutes. Test for setting by placing a plate in the fridge. Spoon a little of the jelly onto the plate, allow to cook then move it with your fingernail. If a crinkly skin forms then the jelly is ready. If not continue boiling for 5 minutes more and test again.

Skim the surface then ladle into sterilized jars that have been warmed in an oven set to 110°C for 15 minutes. Allow 1cm of head space then secure the lid, allow to cool and store.

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