Foraging is such a satisfying pursuit—gathering food for free that has required no effort whatsoever to cultivate. In England, where I live, the hedgerows yield many edible fruits in the fall, and I’ve used some of these in this jam, along with fruits that can be found in any good supermarket. American readers may not find rowan (European mountain ash) growing wild, but any region containing woodland or agricultural land will yield useful ingredients. In any case, you’ll need to take a flexible approach, since not all of your chosen fruits will be ripe at the same time. Of course, not all berries are edible, so if you don’t know how to recognize the ones that are, this jam isn’t for you. Countryside Jam is autumn in a jar.
Makes about 8 cups
INGREDIENTS
- 2¼ cups rose hips
- 2¼ cups hawthorn hips (“haws”)
- 2 cups rowan berries (optional)
- 2 cups sloes
- 1 pound crab apples or tart cooking apples, chopped
- 2 pints blackberries
- 1½ pints elderberries
- ⅞ cup hazelnuts, shelled and chopped
- warmed sugar (see page 10; for quantity see step 3)
- countryside jam
INSTRUCTIONS
- Pick over the fruit and remove the stalks. Place the hips, haws, rowan berries, if using, sloes, and apples in a pan with just enough water to cover the fruit, so it begins to float. Simmer for approximately 15 minutes until the fruit is soft and the apples fluffy.
- Push the fruit mixture through the fine disk of a food mill or a sieve and collect the puréed pulp in a preserving pan. Add the blackberries, elderberries, and nuts and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Measure the cooked fruit and add an equal amount of warmed sugar. Stir over a low heat until all the sugar has dissolved, then turn up the heat and boil rapidly to reach setting point. Skim if necessary.
- Pour the jam into hot, sterilized jars and seal.
