This morning I decided to make another batch of Beer Jelly using Flying Monkey’s Smash Bomb beer. I plan on going to the brewery in Barrie tomorrow (weather permitting) to replace our keg or kegs and thought it would be nice to drop off a jar of jelly. Smash Bomb is the perfect beer for this jelly. It is hoppy and full of flavour without being too dark or sweet. And, it has a fruity flavour that combines nicely with the orange zest and cinnamon.
Determined to get this one right; set to perfection and without a fire, I decided to pretend this was my first time at this show. You know…beginners luck or not dwelling on the past or something like that. Go figure, it worked. I think this is the best beer jelly I’ve made. It is well set and delicious…if I do say so myself.
The process of making this beer jelly is relatively easy especially if you have preserved jars of homemade apple pectin on hand. All of the ingredients go in at the same time and boil down until set. Sounds easy. But, for those of you who have tried it or are planning to, the problem sneaks up from behind and you are left using all of those frozen spoons and still wondering “is it set?” Okay, let’s talk set. I think it’s fair to say this is where most of us are having a problem with this jelly. Here is what I did differently and I think the result firmly speaks for itself. (1) I added the seeds from the lemon (in a spice ball) to give the mixture a little added pectin boost. I’m not sure how much effect half a dozen seeds have overall but this is the best set beer jelly to date. (2) I also cut back on the sugar using 4 1/2 cups rather than 5 1/4 cups. I was leary about reducing the sugar because sugar does help it to set but I’ve found the past 12 batches a little too sweet. Clearly, I’m slow on the up take but not completely draft or should I say “daft” as I am now making the change. (3) And again, for those of you using a thermometer this one does not set at 220F. It’s more like 230+F.
I love the lemon seed idea. I think it’s a reason to have to buy more beer and try this again, although I did get a good set the last time. It definitely helped to use your apple pectin recipe, as opposed to just using the strained apple juice.