Recipe Archives->Preserving->Melon Jam 01

Melon Jam
                                                                              
2 kg (4.5 pounds) melon
800 g (3.75 cups) granulated sugar
Juice of 2 small lemons
2 vanilla beans
200 g (7 ounces) Green Apple Jelly (recipe below instructions)
1 lemon
1 orange
A pinch salt

Select perfectly ripe, very fragrant melons.  Remove the rind and
seeds.  Cut the flesh into dice.  In a ceramic bowl, combine the
diced melon, sugar, lemon juice and 1 vanilla bean split lengthwise.
Allow to macerate for an hour.

Pour this mixture into a preserving pan and bring to a simmer.  Pour
back into the bowl, cover the fruit with a sheet of parchment paper,
and refrigerate overnight.

Next day, cut wide strips of lemon and orange peel with a zester.
Put them in boiling water with a pinch of salt for 5 minutes.  Now
rinse them in cold water and cut them into fine julienne.

Pour the melon preparation into a sieve and collect the juice.

In a preserving pan, bring the juice to a boil.  Skim and continue
cooking on high heat.  The syrup will be sufficiently concentrated
at 115 C (240 F) on a candy thermometer.

Now add the diced melon, the second split vanilla bean, the juilenned
peel, and the apple jelly.  Bring to a boil and cook on high heat
for about 10 minutes, stirring gently.  Skim carefully.  Remove the
vanilla beans, which you'll use to decorate your jars.  Return to
a boil.  Check the set.  Put the jam in jars immediately and seal.


Green Apple Jelly
                                                                              
1.5 kg (3.33 pounds) green apples
1 kg (4.66 cups) granulated sugar
1.5 kg/150 cl (6.33 cups) water
Juice of 1 small lemon

Rinse the apples in cold water.  Remove the stem and cut the fruit
into quarters without peeling them.  Put them in a pan and cover
them with the water.  When the apple mixture comes to a boil, simmer
for half an hour on low heat.

Collect the juice by pouring the preparation into a fine chinois
sieve and pressing lightly on the fruit with the back of a skimmer.
Now filter it a second time through cheesecloth, which you have wet
and wrung out.

Pour 1 kg/1 l (4.25 cups) of the juice into a preserving pan with
the lemon juice and sugar.  Bring to a boil, skim, and continue
cooking on high heat for 5 to 10 minutes.  Skim again if necessary.
Return to a boil.  Check the set.  Pour the jelly into jars and
seal.

This is the "pectin stock" jelly that you can add to jams such as
pear or cherry that have very little natrual pectin:  it will
facilitate the jell.  Choose very green apples, preferably at the
beginning of July when they haven't ripened yet.  You can make a
compote with the pulp by putting it through a food mill (coarse
disk), adding sugar and spice to your taste.

Printable version: melon-jam01.txt.