I just made a batch of it - well, half a batch. But I did it this way: Mint Jelly (2) 2kg tart apples 3 cups strong mint water 2 cups white vinegar sugar To make mint water, steep 500g mint in 3 cups water overnight. Next day, chop apples and place in a pan, barely cover with water. Cover and simmer about 1 hour until apples are soft. Strain. Combine apple juice, mint water, and vinegar and strain again. Measure and place in a pan, adding cup for cup of sugar. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Bring to boiling and cook rapidly until the jelly will set. Bottle and seal. Serve with meat, especially lamb, or on toast, in sandwiches etc It turned out sort of pink, too, and I tried adding green colouring (natural) to it, and it went rusty brown. Won't do THAT again! I'll do Flora's version next time. Mine doesn't actually have mint flakes in it - it's just the jelly. I used Granny Smith apples (you really need to use a tart cooking apple for best results.) And to be perfectly honest, 500g/1lb of mint is a LOT of mint, and you really, really need that much to give it flavour.

I've found, through trial and error, that the best way to get the best mint flavor is to pick an armful of mint, rinse off the dust and critters, and hang it upside down to dry in a breezy place. Or, if you have a food dehydrator, its only a question of 6 - 8 hours. Then when dry, knock off / strip the leaves from the stems and fill a pot with the result - the size of the pot depending on the amount of mint. Fill the pot with water and bring to a simmer, then take it off the heat and let it steep for 10 - 15 minutes. The result isn't particularly pretty, kind of an off-green, but its fresh, concentrated, and makes wonderful jelly. It also makes a great 'concentrate' to add to iced tea. I have the impression that when I boil it, or let it steep too long, it gets a slight bitter taste. Drying it first gives much better results than boiling the fresh leaves.

" I’ve waited over a month for it to set" Not saying this is always true but many jelly recipes specify 6 weeks as normal required setting time. So waiting a month isn't necessarily out of line. But as floral said, it all depends on the recipe and methods used. When it comes to using commercial 'extracts' (and their additives not found in home made extracts) my wife tells me it all depends on when it is added and the mix temp at the time of adding it. Dave

I like everything about that Cranberry Chutney except the sage, LOL. I don't mind sage, but it doesn't work for me in that chutney. It should be perfectly cannable, though. I don't see much risk in it. I'm guessing 15 minutes, but we'd need to find a comparable canning recipe to be certain. There is a grape jelly with thyme recipe posted some time back by Robin. -Robin Grape Thyme Jelly 1 Cup Sauterne (a type of dessert wine) 1 1/2 Tbsp thyme leaves (or 1 tsp dried leaves) 3 to 4 Lbs Concord grapes 2 medium apples 4 1/2 cups sugar 1 pouch liquid pectin Heat the sauterne in an enamel pot to the boiling point. Put the thyme leaves in a bowl and pour the wine over them. Allow the leaves to steep for 30 to 40 minutes. Then pour the mixture back into the pan and simmer it over a low flame until it reduces to half a cup. Stem the grapes and crush them in a large enamel kettle. Peel and cube the apples and add it to the grapes with 1 cup of sugar. Add enough water so the grapes are barely covered (too much water will dilute the flavor). Cook the mixture at a simmer until the fruit begins to lose color and becomes soft (about 1 hour). Pour the mixture into a damp jelly bag or through several thicknesses of cheescloth and allow to drain. Do not squeeze the cloth or the jelly will become muddy and the taste will be affected. You should have 2 cups of juice. Add the sauterne and thyme mixture, the remaining 3 1/2 cups of sugar and the liquid pectin. Bring to a boil and stir constantly and rapidly for 1 minute. Remove the mixture form the heat, skim if neccesary and pour into hot sterile jelly jars. BWB 10 minutes. There's Emeril's Pickled Green Beans with Lemon and Rosemary posted by Annie. That's kind of a fun one. I have made these. I cut way back on the rosemary and still found them a bit too resinous for my taste. The rosemary I grow is really powerful. But overall it's a recipe worth fiddling with. In retrospect I think I would infuse the brine with rosemary (still use about half what he says) then pull it out and put only the lemon in the jars. Or for appearance put in just the tiniest sprig. Lemon-Rosemary Pickled Green Beans: 2 pounds green beans 4 sprigs fresh rosemary 4 cloves garlic, peeled 4 (3-inch) strips lemon peel 2 1/2 cups water 2 1/2 cups white wine vinegar 3 tablespoons pickling salt 2 tablespoons sugar Sterilize 4 pint-sized jars and their lids according to the manufacturer's instructions. Evenly trim the ends of the green beans to fit the jars. Divide and pack the green beans, rosemary, garlic, and lemon peels among the jars. Bring a large pot or canner of water to a boil. In a medium pot, combine the water, vinegar, salt, and sugar and bring to a boil. Simmer for 2 minutes, stirring to dissolve the sugar and salt. Ladle the hot mixture into the jars, leaving a 1/2-inch headspace. Wipe the rims with a clean cloth, affix the lids and seals, and seal tightly. Process the jars in the hot water bath for 15 minutes. Carefully remove with tongs and set aside to cool. Let sit in a cool, dark place for at least 3 weeks before opening. Yield: 4 pints (Emeril's Recipe) from Annie Ellie Topp has a lovely pickled asparagus with tarragon and shallots, which normally I wouldn't even put out there for canning this time of year. But our stores have just put asparagus on special in anticipation of the holidays. With her small batches and hydroponic tarragon, it is doable. Also, she offers a spiced orange slice recipe for canning. Perfect for the season. But the emphasis is spices - cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and peppercorns, so I don't know if you're interested in that one. Carol