My curiousity got the best of me.

I simmered 2 ounces of dried "Fluor de Jamaica" in a quart of water for a
couple of minutes, then turned off the fire and let it steep for a half
hour. Then brought it back to a boil and simmered it for 10 minutes.
Strained through cheesecloth and I had a little over 2 cups of dark red
sour juice. I put the spent pulp back in the saucepan with 3 more cups of
water. Simmered it for 10 minutes, mashed with a potato masher, and boiled
hard for another 5 minutes. (I have no idea if this procedure is right,
it's just what I did) Strained it again and squeezed out the juice. Added
it to the first extraction and I had about 4 cups total. Decanted the
juice off the little bit of sand and grit at the bottom. Poured it into a
wide shallow stockpot and brought it to a hard boil. Added 3 cups of
sugar, brought it back to a boil, and boiled it briskly until it reached
225 degrees (the thermometer was touching the bottom of the pan so I gave
it an extra couple of degrees.) Ladled into half-pint jars, and it's in
the canner right now. It made 3 1/2 half-pint; it's a lovely dark red
color and it tastes good. If it doesn't set I'm not gonna rebatch it, I'll
use it for snowcone syrup or mix with ice and rum to make Hurricanes.

Best regards,
Bob

zxcvbob wrote:

> My curiousity got the best of me.
>
> I simmered 2 ounces of dried "Fluor de Jamaica" in a quart of water for a
> couple of minutes, then turned off the fire and let it steep for a half

So did it jell? Because I'd have added pectin, for jelly.

Henriette

--
Henriette Kress, AHG Helsinki, Finland
Henriette's herbal homepage: http://www.ibiblio.org/herbmed
Best of RHOD: http://www.ibiblio.org/herbmed/rhod

Henriette Kress wrote:
> zxcvbob wrote:
>
>
>>My curiousity got the best of me.
>>
>>I simmered 2 ounces of dried "Fluor de Jamaica" in a quart of water for a
>>couple of minutes, then turned off the fire and let it steep for a half
>
>
> So did it jell? Because I'd have added pectin, for jelly.
>
> Henriette
>

I read somewhere that roselle has enough pectin for a firm gel without
added pectin, so I tried that first. No, it didn't quite set. I have a
lovely *dark* red syrup -- when I refrigerate it, it gets thick and has a
little bit of "wiggle" to it, but not really jelly.

I think it will be wonderful mixed with rum to make hurricanes (it might be
too sweet.) Or with milk and frozen bananas to make smoothies.

Next time I'll add pectin. Perhaps the dried roselle doesn't have as much
usable pectin as fresh, or I didn't extract it right. BTW, the juice was
quite sour and looked like red ink. This looks like a great juice for
blending with other fruit for jelly or preserves. (Mmmm, apricots
preserved in this syrup I made...)

Bob

zxcvbob wrote:

> BTW, the juice was quite sour and looked like red ink.

Serve it as "strawberry syrup" and see people pucker up

Henriette

--
Henriette Kress, AHG Helsinki, Finland
Henriette's herbal homepage: http://www.ibiblio.org/herbmed
Best of RHOD: http://www.ibiblio.org/herbmed/rhod

zxcvbob > wrote:

> This looks like a great juice for
> blending with other fruit for jelly or preserves. (Mmmm, apricots
> preserved in this syrup I made...)

How about a marmalade made with dried apricots cut into fine shreds?
Whadya think?

Blanche Nonken wrote:

> zxcvbob > wrote:
>
>
>>This looks like a great juice for
>>blending with other fruit for jelly or preserves. (Mmmm, apricots
>>preserved in this syrup I made...)
>
>
> How about a marmalade made with dried apricots cut into fine shreds?
> Whadya think?

Have you tried Bob's apricot/pineapple jam? Had some last night on
vanilla ice cream and it's also good on pan cakes, waffles, even toast.
It's made with dried apricots and I am under orders to make a bigger
batch as all of the kids and grands love the stuff.

What would you put in the apricot marmalade to replace the citrus peel?

George

Blanche Nonken wrote:
> zxcvbob > wrote:
>
>
>>This looks like a great juice for
>>blending with other fruit for jelly or preserves. (Mmmm, apricots
>>preserved in this syrup I made...)
>
>
> How about a marmalade made with dried apricots cut into fine shreds?
> Whadya think?

I don't know if the apricots would suck enough water out of the syrup to
make it gel for a marmalade. I was thinking more of rehydrating dried
apricots in water or gingerale, and canning them whole or halved in the
syrup.

Mixing one part of syrup with 2 parts of rum and pouring over cracked
ice in a tall glass might be a winner...

Bob

zxcvbob wrote:
>
> Blanche Nonken wrote:
> > zxcvbob > wrote:
> >
> >
> >>This looks like a great juice for
> >>blending with other fruit for jelly or preserves. (Mmmm, apricots
> >>preserved in this syrup I made...)
> >
> >
> > How about a marmalade made with dried apricots cut into fine shreds?
> > Whadya think?
>
> I don't know if the apricots would suck enough water out of the syrup to
> make it gel for a marmalade.

I've written I use them in the triple-apricot nut butter to not only add
flavor but to remove liquid from the original puree and reduce cooking
time. I do chop 'em first in the food processor and they dissolve, so I
think that might be the disadvantage in trying to make a marmalade.

> I was thinking more of rehydrating dried apricots
> apricots in water or gingerale, and canning them whole or halved in the
> syrup.

with slivers of ginger? maybe almonds....

> Mixing one part of syrup with 2 parts of rum and pouring over cracked
> ice in a tall glass might be a winner...

or 3 parts of syrup with one part of rum and basting chicken on the
grill...

B/

info@jewish-food wrote:
> zxcvbob wrote:
>
>>Blanche Nonken wrote:
>>
>>>zxcvbob > wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>This looks like a great juice for
>>>>blending with other fruit for jelly or preserves. (Mmmm, apricots
>>>>preserved in this syrup I made...)
>>>
>>>
>>>How about a marmalade made with dried apricots cut into fine shreds?
>>>Whadya think?
>>
>>I don't know if the apricots would suck enough water out of the syrup to
>>make it gel for a marmalade.
>
>
> I've written I use them in the triple-apricot nut butter to not only add
> flavor but to remove liquid from the original puree and reduce cooking
> time. I do chop 'em first in the food processor and they dissolve, so I
> think that might be the disadvantage in trying to make a marmalade.
>
>
>>I was thinking more of rehydrating dried apricots
>>apricots in water or gingerale, and canning them whole or halved in the
>>syrup.
>
>
> with slivers of ginger? maybe almonds....
>
>
>>Mixing one part of syrup with 2 parts of rum and pouring over cracked
>>ice in a tall glass might be a winner...
>
>
> or 3 parts of syrup with one part of rum and basting chicken on the
> grill...
>
> B/

I think Bob had in mind basting Bob while he grills some chicken. <VBG>

George

George Shirley wrote:
>
> info@jewish-food wrote:
> > zxcvbob wrote:

> >>Mixing one part of syrup with 2 parts of rum and pouring over cracked
> >>ice in a tall glass might be a winner...
> >
> >
> > or 3 parts of syrup with one part of rum and basting chicken on the
> > grill...

> I think Bob had in mind basting Bob while he grills some chicken. <VBG>

Try saying "Bob bastes Bob on the barbie blithely" three times real
fast!

B/

George Shirley > wrote:

> Blanche Nonken wrote:
>
> > zxcvbob > wrote:
> >
> >
> >>This looks like a great juice for
> >>blending with other fruit for jelly or preserves. (Mmmm, apricots
> >>preserved in this syrup I made...)
> >
> >
> > How about a marmalade made with dried apricots cut into fine shreds?
> > Whadya think?
>
> Have you tried Bob's apricot/pineapple jam? Had some last night on
> vanilla ice cream and it's also good on pan cakes, waffles, even toast.
> It's made with dried apricots and I am under orders to make a bigger
> batch as all of the kids and grands love the stuff.
>
> What would you put in the apricot marmalade to replace the citrus peel?

I was under the impression that apricot (especially dried) is loaded
with pectin. Was I wrong?