Damsons, sloes and bullaces are all members of the same family (the plum or prunus family). Sloes are the fruit of the blackthorn tree, and look like tiny plums. The bullace is their slightly larger cousin.
Sloes have traditionally been made into wine for hundreds of years, producing a wine that is apparently very similar to port, and are a very old species.
Sloes are too tart to eat raw, and incredibly fiddly to prepare as their stone is so small. Jelly is a great use for them as they can be used whole. This recipe will work equally well with any of the above fruit, and is a perfect partner for serving with red meat. It’s also great served with scones instead of jam.
The fruit is available in September and October and should be picked as ripe as possible to give maximum yield from the juice. Look out for the thorns, which can be up to an inch long and very sharp.
It is not strictly necessary to include the apples in this recipe, as sloes have a good pectin level and the jelly should set anyway; however using apples will give you a much higher yield.
Rinse the fruit thoroughly before making the jelly, and discard any damaged or blemished fruit.
The sloes can be frozen at this stage until needed.
Making Homemade Damson or Sloe and Apple Jelly – Jelly Making Equipment
- A preserving (maslin) pan, available from cook shops, or a large saucepan with a heavy base. Remember that when the jelly boils, it can potentially double in volume, so make sure that your pan is big enough.
- A long handled wooden spoon
- A pair of scales
- A ladle
- A sugar thermometer (optional but useful)
- A number of clean empty glass jars with close fitting lids
- Waxed circles (available from cook shops)
- A measuring jug
- A potato masher
- A large bowl
- Jam funnel
- Either a specialist jelly stand with muslin bag (available from cook shops), or a sturdy kitchen stool and a clean piece of muslin or old glass cloth. Making fruit jellies will stain the cloth, so make sure it’s a piece you don’t want to use for anything else!
Making Homemade Damson or Sloe and Apple Jelly – Recipe
- 8 cups (2kg or 4lb) sloes or damsons, washed
- 4 cups (900g or 2lb) cooking apples, e.g. Bramley, washed and roughly sliced (no need to core or peel)
- 1.5 pints (900ml) boiling water
- Sugar
Before you start:-
- Put a clean saucer in the fridge.
- Prepare the jars. Wash the jars and lids in hot water and dry thoroughly. Place the jars (not the lids) on a baking tray, and place in a hot oven for about 10 minutes. This will sterilise them and help prevent the jelly going mouldy.
- Place the apples and the water in the preserving pan, bring to the boil and simmer until the fruit is soft. Add the sloes, and simmer again until really soft and pulpy. This stage is important as the fruit must be soft to release its pectin. Mash the mixture well with the potato masher.
- Now set up your jelly stand and bag. If you are using a kitchen stool instead of a specialist jelly bag, then set it on a sturdy flat surface upside down, and tie each corner of the cloth to a leg to form a bag.
- Place the bowl under the jelly bag. Make sure it is a large bowl! Overflowing fruit liquid makes a mess that you wouldn’t believe.
- Carefully ladle the liquid into the bag, and allow it to drain through. If possible, leave overnight to make sure you get the highest possible yield.
- Using the measuring jug, measure the resulting juice back into the maslin pan, and add 2 cups (1lb or 450g) sugar for every pint of juice.
- Place pan back on a low heat, and stir until the sugar is dissolved dissolved. You must be really sure that all the sugar is dissolved before you start boiling, as otherwise it may catch and cause the jelly to burn. Drag a wooden spoon across the bottom of the pan, and you should be able to feel any un-dissolved sugar crystals scraping. When all the sugar is dissolved, bring the pan to the boil, and boil for about 10 minutes.
- A sugar thermometer is useful at this point. Put it in the middle of the pan, and wait for it to read 105C/221F (the setting point). It is always a good idea to carry out a saucer test as well though.
- Remove the pan from the heat so that it doesn’t go on cooking, and retrieve the cold saucer from the fridge. Drip a little drop of jelly onto the saucer, and wait for it to set. Push your finger through it, and if the jelly wrinkles and you can leave a clearly defined track through it, it’s ready. Otherwise, it needs to boil for a little longer. Remove the froth from the pan with a spoon, and discard it.
- Pour the hot jelly into the prepared jars using the jam funnel. Add a waxed circle (wax side down). This will seal the jelly and help it keep better. Put the lid on whilst the jar is still hot (caution – it will be very hot indeed!)
- Add a decorative label, and the date. Homemade jelly doesn’t keep quite as well as jam, but should still keep in a cool, dark place for up to a year. Eat with venison or other dark meats, or stir a spoonful into stews or casseroles to enrich them. Also great with scones or on toast.
Sara Walker - I graduated from the University of Liverpool with a BA in English and French, and spent many years working as a software trainer and then ...
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