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I love making preserves.

Like bread baking, it is one of the most satisfying endeavours in the kitchen.

One of my favourites is Crab Apple Jelly. It takes me back to memories of my Baba Sarah, who would hang a cheesecloth full of boiled apples to drain all night.  I never paid much attention to what happened after the juice drained, but adored her ruby apple jelly and spicy apple butter.

Here are my 10-steps to perfect crab apple jelly.

Crab Apple Jelly

Recipe from Canadian Living www.canadianliving.com.

1. Start with 6 lb crab apples

2.Remove stem and blossom ends from crab apples. Do not peel or core (I halved some of mine). In large Dutch oven, bring crab apples and 6 cups water to boil.

3. Reduce heat, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes or until softened. Using potato masher crush crab apples; cook for 5 minutes longer.

Crush crab apples using potato masher Photo Adell Shneer

4. Wet and wring out jelly bag; suspend on frame over large measuring cup or bowl.

Transfer crab apples to jelly bag Photo Adell Shneer

5. Fill with crab apples.

6. Let drip, without squeezing bag (so your jelly stays nice and clear) for 2 hours or until juice measures 6 1/2 cups, adding up to 1 1/2 cups water if necessary.

Let juice for two hours without squeezing Photo Adell Shneer

7. In large clean Dutch oven, bring juice with 4 1/2 cups granulated sugar to full rolling boil (one that can't be stirred down) over medium-high heat, stirring constantly; boil for 15 to 18 minutes or until gel stage. (SEE MORE BELOW)

Full rolling boil Photo Adell Shneer

8. Remove from heat; skim off foam. (I love this foamy stuff, I keep it and eat it like candy.)

9. Using funnel, fill hot 1-cup canning jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. ( I got 5 - 1 cup jars full-exactly)

Fill hot 1 cup jars Photo Adell Shneer

10. Cover with prepared lids. Screw on bands until resistance is met; increase to fingertip tight. Boil in water canner for 10 minutes. (See canning basics). Remove to rack.  Let stand undisturbed for 24 hours.

Crystal clear and beautiful crab apple jelly

Ta Da!

Gel Stage Test

There are  3 different ways to test for Gel Stage. The one we use at Canadian Living, also known as a Plate Test.

Plate Test:
• Remove jelly from heat while doing test.
• Chill two or three small plates in freezer.
• Place 1 tsp (5 mL) hot jelly or jam on plate and freeze for 1 minute.
• Remove from freezer. Surface should wrinkle when edge is pushed with finger.
• If surface doesn't wrinkle, continue cooking and repeat test every few minutes.

Get Stage Test -Plate Test

Thermometer

You can also use a thermometer. Jelly should set at 220°F (103-105°C).

Sheeting Test (according to Bernardin)

Sheeting jelly breaks from spoon in sheet or flake.

Sheeting Test Photo Adell Shneer

What are you preserving this season? Are you a fan of  jams and jellies or pickles?

Here are a few of my favourite Canadian Living preserves.

Spiced Peaches

http://www.canadianliving.com/food/spiced_peaches.php

Spicy Dilled Beans

http://www.canadianliving.com/food/spicy_dilled_beans.php

Bread and Butter Pickles

http://www.canadianliving.com/food/bread_and_butter_pickles.php

Rhubarb Orange Jelly

http://www.canadianliving.com/food/rhubarb_orange_jelly.php

Part of the joy of travelling for many foodies is exploring new tastes and products. Here in the Test Kitchen we are no different. We especially like to share them with each other, taste, discuss and critique.

I just returned from an exceptional and exciting trip to the North West Territories with my colleague Rheanna Kish. This visit, sponsored by Northwest Territories Tourism, is part of our  Cross- Canada series, featured monthly until July 2012 in Canadian Living. Although NWT isn't slated until July 2012, here is a sneak peak at one of the exciting local products we brought back to sample in the Test Kitchen-Sapsucker Birch Syrup.

Dwayne Wohlgemuth, one third of the Arctic Harvest team invited us into his LEED home for a taste of this local treat. You can read more about Dwayne and his partners in A Taste for the North.

We sampled three of their local syrups under the Sapsucker label. Each in a 50 mL bottle and sold locally in Yellowknife, NWT for $9.oo.

The syrups they are producing are Early Harvest, Late Harvest, and Maple Birch.

Early Harvest, Maple Birch and Late Harvest Birch Syrup

The syrup is runnier and darker than maple syrup.

Birch Syrup is thinner than maple syrup

We tasted each of them.

Tasting Birch Syrup in the Test Kitchen (l to r) Adell Shneer and Irene Fong

What we discovered is that birch syrup is deep and delicious. It has a rich deep flavour with notes of molasses, soy and is slightly tart and savoury. Unlike other syrups which are used for pancakes and waffles we think the flavour profile of birch syrup will pair best with game meat, beef, cheese and fish.

In fact, last night, I marinated salmon filets with a  little birch syrup, lemon juice, sesame oil and a few chopped shallots and baked it in a hot oven.  When it came out of the oven I put a drizzle of additional birch syrup overtop. It was superb!

Birch syrup is also produced in other regions in Canada.

Have you tried birch syrup? What did you use it on? Did you like it?