Medlar Honey

Recipe for: MEDLAR HONEY 

Ingredients:

• 1.5 to 2 kg firm, unbletted, medlars, straight from the tree
• 1 kg preserving sugar

Method: 

1. wash, then chop all the medlars roughly (skin, seeds & all)
2. place in a heavy pan & cover with water
3. bring to the boil, then simmer till completely mushy
4. tip everything into a jelly bag & leave everything to drip into a bowl overnight (let it drip through at its own pace - don't try & force it through, or the final results will be cloudy)
5. next day, measure the juice & return to the (clean) pan
6. add an equal amount of sugar, stirring until it dissolves, then boil rapidly until setting point which should take about 35-40 minutes
7. pot up into clean, warm, sterilised jars
8. cool, seal & label

What else you need to know: 

1. medlars are generally low in pectin, so it’s quite hard to get a proper set
2. if it sets, it’s jelly
3. if it doesn’t set, it’s honey
4. either way it’s delicious, so don’t worry about it