Wild marjoram (Origanum vulgare) is a fantastic British native herb and one we use regularly. This is the first time we’ve made wild marjoram jelly, it’s simple and incredibly tasty so give it a go. This recipe is largely based on the one in Roger Phillips’ ‘Wild Food. A complete foragers guide’. I can heartily recommend both this jelly and the book. Marjoram jelly is great with all sorts of savouries.
Ingredients
- 2kg of cooking apples
- 500 – 600g of granulated sugar
- 600ml of water
- 150ml of white wine vinegar
- Large bunch of wild marjoram
How to make the wild marjoram jelly
- Cut the apples into pieces and put them into a pan with the water and white wine vinegar. There’s no need to peel and core the apples, use them as they are
- Put a ¼ of the wild marjoram to one side and add the remaining ¾ to the pan
- Simmer for 3o minutes until the apples are soft and pulpy
- Strain the mixture through a jelly bag, but don’t squeeze the jelly bag
- Measure how much strained liquid you have and add 450g of granulated sugar to 600ml of liquid
- Boil hard for another 10 – 15 minutes until the liquid reaches its setting point (drop a small dollop onto a cold saucer; if it crinkles then the mixture is ready)
- Remove the stalks from the remaining wild marjoram, chop finely and add to the pan, stir in well
- Take the pan off the heat and leave to stand for 5 minutes
- Give the mixture a final stir to ensure the wild marjoram is evenly distributed
- Pour into jars
We made this and many other delicious preserves on our 1 day foraging course. You can see loads of photos from the day, as well as from all of our courses, on our Facebook page.
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