I put several items in the NJ state fair this year; five in the canning competition and one in the quilt competition. All-in-all, I won a total of four ribbons - three second place (red) and one first place (blue).
I was most happy with the lemon pickle previously shown here and a blueberry chutney that I developed using a spice combination with Bengali origins. I will share both recipes here at a later date.
Thanks for my dedicated taste-testers (I don't taste when I cook) and kitchen helpers. I couldn't ribbon without you. ~ksp
Montclair Mint growing wild in my garden box before summer planting...ignore the keys on the table.
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I didn't bother to add food coloring to this recipe, but it easily could be added. I didn't see the point, it's such a rich golden color by itself. It won an Honorable Mention ribbon at this year's state fair. Enjoy. ~ksp
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Golden Mint Jelly
Ingredients
4 lbs of tart apples (e.g. Granny Smith), unpeeled, chopped into 1” cubes (including the cores)
2 1/2 cups of fresh mint, chopped, lightly packed (set1/3 cup aside)
2 -3 medium jalapeno peppers (set 2 tbsp aside)
2 cups water
2 cups white vinegar
3 1/2 cups sugar
Method
1.Combine apple pieces with water and mint in a large pan. Bring water to a boil then reduce heat and cook 20 minutes, until apples are soft.
2.Add vinegar, return to boil. Simmer covered, 5 more minutes.
3.Use a potato masher to mash up the apple pieces to the consistency of thin apple sauce.
4.Spoon the apple pulp into a muslin cloth (or a couple layers of cheesecloth) or a large, fine mesh sieve, suspended over a large bowl. Leave to strain for several hours. (4 to 5 cups juice).
5.Measure the juice then pour into a large pot. Add the sugar (7/8 a cup for each cup of juice). Heat gently, stirring to make sure the sugar gets dissolved and doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan and burn.
6.Add set aside mint and peppers.
7.Bring to a boil. Cook for 10-15 minutes, using a metal spoon to skim off the surface scum.
8.Ladle or pour into sterile 1/2 pint jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of the top.
9.Process in a hot-water bath of simmering water for 10 minutes. Adjust time for your elevation.
