PICK & PRESERVE AUTUMN FRUIT

Apples, pears, feijoas, crabapples and quinces are the mainstays of the autumn preserver’s orchard. Bottle and stew fruit for winter, make jams and jellies, or try your hand at posh pastes and fruit cheeses for antipasto platters. • The basic jelly making method is the same for all of these fruits. Roughly chop unpeeled fruit into a large pot and add just enough water to cover, then bring it to a gentle simmer (lid on, if possible) and cook until the fruit is tender. Then tip the pulp into a jelly bag, large sieve or colander lined with muslin, or a cheap cotton pillowcase and strain over a bowl. (Catch the drips, as it’s the liquid you want, not the pulp.) Then simply measure the amount of liquid you have, and match with an equal quantity of sugar (or jam-setting sugar if using a lowpectin fruit). Boil briskly until a little jelly dribbled onto a cold plate (from the fridge) gets a