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You are here: Home / The Joy of Cooking / Apple Jellies Revisited

Apple Jellies Revisited

12.29.2012 by J. Doe // 10 Comments

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I spent a lot of time wondering what went wrong after my Apple Jellies fiasco. After all, as one of my readers pointed out, Lottie and Doof didn’t have trouble with the recipe when they made it. I love that blog, and have had good luck with other recipes on it.

They wouldn’t lie to me any more than Alice Waters would.

I thought of two possibilities. First, I live in the Seattle area, and thus, a damp climate (mildew is our state flower), which could have resulted in problems getting the jellies to dry out. But that problem should have been resolved, I think, by the extensive oven drying time I added.

The second possibility was suggested by this line of the ingredient list: 8 medium apples (3 pounds).

I used eight apples, as the recipe suggested.

I did not, however, weigh them.

It’s a funny thing to have an a-ha moment in the produce section of the supermarket, and probably would have been embarrassing, too, had I not been so caught up in my moment of revelation. Three pounds of apples in my part of the world equals five apples, not eight.

I did calculate the percentages, but I’ll spare you the math; I used much too much. Of course it didn’t dry out the way it should have.

I bought five apples and re-did the recipe, making no other changes to it. It did work – the apples jelled – although they still did require an hour in the oven. They still lacked the gummy-type texture that I was – rightly or wrongly – hoping for,  but I noticed that there were bits like that on the sides of the cooking pan, so I suspect if I cooked the apples down a bit further, the whole thing would work out the way I wanted it too.

Apple Jellies

There was just one other problem: I still didn’t like them very much. They were okay, to be sure, but just sort of plain. I would have preferred a bit of citrus-peel bite or some spiciness or … something. On the other hand, The Child thought they were great this time around – which seems to be just my luck with these things.

I’m pleased to have learned a few things from the experience, but will not likely make Apple Jellies again. I do like the Jellies idea, though, and will probably play around with the recipe posted at The Spiced Life, which involves pectin and sounds like it will be a bit less fuss and a bit more adaptable.

We’ll see.

This is my contribution to Weekend Cooking, hosted by Beth Fish Reads. Why not swing by and see if the other participants had better luck?

Categories // The Joy of Cooking Tags // candy, kitchen disasters

Comments

  1. Beth F says

    December 29, 2012 at 9:38 am

    Good for you for figuring out the problem. I love playing with recipes until I get them just right. I might be inspired to try jellies myself — maybe in February. 🙂
    Beth F recently posted..Weekend Cooking: Best of 2012My Profile

    Reply
  2. Deb Nance at Readerbuzz says

    December 29, 2012 at 9:45 am

    I’m happy you tried again. I live in Houston which is humid, too, and I always have trouble with humidity when I cook.

    Reply
  3. Laura says

    December 29, 2012 at 9:58 am

    Glad you figured it out, sorry you didn’t like them, and let me know what you think if you try the pate de fruit! 🙂
    Laura recently posted..Top 13 Foodie Recommendations 2012, The Spiced Life StyleMy Profile

    Reply
  4. Stacy says

    December 29, 2012 at 10:22 am

    Humidity and elevation can create special problems for cooks and bakers. Well done for your persistence! The jellies look lovely so I would tend to agree with The Child on the one.
    Stacy recently posted..My Favorite Meatloaf by HeatherMy Profile

    Reply
  5. Rikki says

    December 29, 2012 at 10:54 am

    Not a big fan of anything -jelly, so I probably would have given up after the first try. They do look yummy, though.
    Rikki recently posted..Weekend Cooking: NEW 52 foodie project in 2013My Profile

    Reply
  6. JoAnn says

    December 29, 2012 at 12:28 pm

    I’m impressed that you went back and tried to correct the problem! I guess the weight of the apples is pretty important.
    JoAnn recently posted..Weekend Cooking: Pin It and Do It Wrap-upMy Profile

    Reply
  7. Joy Weese Moll (@joyweesemoll) says

    December 29, 2012 at 1:32 pm

    So cool that you persevered and we got to hear the rest of the story. They look beautiful. But, after your experience, I think our household will be better served by things like candied ginger or citrus peel.
    Joy Weese Moll (@joyweesemoll) recently posted..Head ShotMy Profile

    Reply
  8. Janel Gradowski says

    December 29, 2012 at 2:13 pm

    I’ve always been fascinated with fruit jellies, but have never tried them. I would definitely want to find a recipe that was more on the tangy side, instead of overly sweet.
    Janel Gradowski recently posted..Mandarin Orange CakeMy Profile

    Reply
  9. caite@a lovely shore breeze says

    December 29, 2012 at 3:52 pm

    “There was just one other problem: I still didn’t like them very much..” lol, yes, that is a problem.
    caite@a lovely shore breeze recently posted..Weekend Cooking…Our Mexican ChristmasMy Profile

    Reply
  10. Diane (bookchickdi) says

    December 30, 2012 at 12:17 pm

    I am impressed that you gave it a go again, and I loved that mildew is your state flower (very funny).
    Diane (bookchickdi) recently posted..Weekend Cooking- A Pinterest Christmas RecipeMy Profile

    Reply

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