MEMBER RECIPE
Crystal clear wild plum jelly INGREDIENTS
No life like it BY BOB STEWART, LONGBOW LAKE
• Wild plums (at least 8 to 10 cups required per batch, including a cup of green fruit for the extra natural pectin) • 1 package of pectin, 49 grams (can be either standard powdered pectin crystals, "light" crystals which require less sugar, or liquid pectin)
Canada’s military catch slogan used for many years, ‘There’s no life like it’, captures the essence of living at the lake in Northwestern Ontario.
• 4 to 5 cups of ordinary white sugar
For myself and my wife Brenda, it has been a lifestyle we’ve thoroughly enjoyed for more than half a century. For over two decades we had use of my family’s cottage at Longbow Lake, and since 1992 have been permanent residents there.
• Several large pots
Brenda came by a love of living near the water early. Her parents lived at West Hawk Lake and owned rental cabins, a gas bar, and an ice cream stand, so she grew up with a lake at her doorstep. I came to love the lake life in my teens when my parents bought their cottage on Longbow Lake in 1970, converting it a decade later into their year-round home, and only selling to us when they began spending winters in Arizona and summers on the road in their RV. They didn’t want the worries of maintaining a house and yard while they were away. There really is no life like having the lake as your front yard; the solitude of a clear, crisp winter’s day, a quiet summer evening sitting in the screen porch, and a boat ride always only a few steps from the front door—fishing included if you are so inclined, neighbours far enough away to not need curtains on the windows yet close enough to call for help if needed (and always handy for a get-together), and birds and wildlife outside the window. The many pluses of rural lake life far outweigh any minuses. One of those pluses is harvesting the bounty of the land; another is the opportunity for nature photography. Vegetables from the garden are familiar to many, but for us, nature’s harvest also includes wild fruits and flowers—most of which find their way into jams and jellies.
• 12 sealer jars, 250 ml size (you won't need them all, but having them sterilized and ready is a good idea)
Making the jelly: 1. Rinse the fruit and place in a large stockpot; add water until just barely covered and bring to a boil. As soon as it boils, pour off the water and rinse fruit in a colander. Refill the pot with fruit and fresh water; bring to a boil again. Cook at a slow boil until the fruit becomes soft and the skins begin to split (test by mashing a plum or two with a wooden spoon). 2. Use a jelly bag or make your own strainer by lining a colander or sieve with several layers of cheesecloth (or a sterilized linen or smooth cotton tea towel) and place over a large pot. 3. Pour the softened fruit into the bag or colander and let the juice drain into the pot (never mash down the fruit or squeeze the bag, it will result in cloudy juice). Draining takes about 30 to 45 minutes. 4. It takes six cups of juice to make a single, standard pectin package fruit jelly recipe. Starting with more fruit than called for doesn't hurt as extra juice can be frozen for future batches, up to several years, or until you have enough juice for another full batch. 5. Follow the standard jelly recipe on the package, especially for the sugar amounts and boiling times. A bit of over-measuring on the sugar won't hurt, but too little and your jelly won't set properly. The same with the boiling instructions. A bit of extra time doesn't hurt, but too little and your jelly won't set. Hard boil means just what it implies, a really rolling, bubbling and foaming brew. Skimming is also important. The more foam and surface skin that can be removed, the clearer your jelly will be. The jelly is ready to go in the jars when a small amount cooled for 30-45 seconds on a kitchen spoon slides off as a single mass. 6. Process the sealed jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes, then remove and cool. Jelly will last in a storage cupboard for a year or more. 7. Save the foam and surface skim; it makes a great glaze when cooking meats and although it won't win prizes for appearance, is just as tasty as the jelly.
An evening cruise is one of the many joys of living at the lake.
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Living Lake of the Woods Area News Fall 2021
