APPLE EARL GREY ALMOND JELLY

Apple Earl Grey Almond Jelly image

Provided by dicentra

Categories Apple

Time 1h

Yield 2 pints

Number Of Ingredients 5

4 cups apple juice (made from about 3 pounds of tart green apples, such as Granny Smith)
2 tablespoons loose earl grey tea
4 cups sugar
3/4 cup slivered almonds
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Steps:

Wash the apples and cut them into chunks (no need to peel or core them), then put them in your heavy-bottomed, nonreactive pot along with half of the tea, wrapped in cheesecloth.
Cover with water and simmer until the apples are tender, mashing them up to extract as much juice and flavor as possible.
Strain the pulp through a jelly bag or cheesecloth, letting it drip for several hours or overnight.
Measure 4 cups of juice into the clean cooking pot.
Add the sugar and the rest of the tea, again, wrapped in cheesecloth.
Simmer until the sugar dissolves and then bring the liquid to a boil and cook until the setting point is reached. (It sounds so easy!).
Remove the mixture from the heat and discard the bag of tea.
Skim any foam and allow the jelly to stand for a few minutes before stirring in the almonds and almond extract. (I found that if you don't let it sit -- and if you don't have a proper set -- the almonds will sit right on top of the jelly rather than sinking into the mix and looking all pretty.)
Ladle the hot jelly into sterilized jars.
I left 1/4 inch head space and processed in a water bath canner for ten minutes.