The perfect crab apple jelly recipe

Place the apples in a medium saucepan and add enough water to cover them. Bring to the boil, turn down the heat, place a lid on and simmer for 30 minutes, mashing the fruits occasionally with a fork or wooden spoon.

Using a jelly bag or muslin cloth, strain the fruits into a bowl or measuring jug, allowing the juice to drip through. Suspend the cloth or bag above the container (tie above or fit to the container with a strong elastic bag) and leave to strain for a couple of hours or overnight.

Discard the fruits and measure out the juice. Pour into a medium saucepan and add 15g/1/2oz sugar for every 25ml/3⁄4fl oz juice (60g/21⁄4oz sugar to every 100ml/31/2fl oz juice). Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar, then bring to a rolling boil for 10–15 minutes until the temperature reaches 105°C/221°F on a sugar thermometer.

The jelly sets very quickly, so once off the heat pour immediately into sterilised jars and seal. Keeps for up to 6 months in the fridge.