Our ‘Mint Jelly’ is the one recipe at The Pantry that we often associate with Spring. It’s light, bright, sweet and fresh, and is wonderful with all things lamb, our preferred springtime roast choice. Our ‘Mint Jelly’ is the one recipe at The Pantry that we often associate with Spring. It’s light, bright, sweet and fresh, and is wonderful with all things lamb, our preferred springtime roast choice.
So, to start the first of our ‘Ten Things series’ of 2021 here’s ‘Ten Things we love about our ‘Mint Jelly‘
1. Yes, it goes amazingly well with lamb, chops and a roast alike. Fascinatingly there may be some science behind this, with research discovering there is a molecular link between the conversion of the sheep’s food into fatty acids to those found in fresh mint. An ‘atomic pairing’ so to speak. This might help to explain why the two go so well together.
2. Our Easter Sunday roast. A roast leg of lamb is always the main feature at Easter with our family. Although this year we might just have to settle for a zoom Easter. It’s quite the tradition as we pop one of the first ‘Mint Jelly’ jars of the year.
3. It’s light and sweet, so fantastic on crumpets and toast. ‘Mint Jelly’ is principally made with apples, sugar and fresh mint. Very different to mint sauces which use more savoury vinegar. As a result, it has so many uses, and we even have a mint chocolate cookie recipe.
4. Traditional methods: we still apply the traditional methodology of using jelly bags to make the recipe. This is a two-day process of cooking apples and their pectin rich juices, collected overnight, then adding sugar with the fresh mint. It’s a labour of love.
5. We get very excited when the first jersey royal potatoes arrive each year. One of our favourite verities and signals summer is on its way. ‘Mint Jelly’ melts perfectly through hot Jersey’s to bring a sweet freshness to the light earthiness of the potatoes.
6. BBQ’s maybe a little way off, but our ‘Mint Jelly’ will always be a feature on our BBQ table each summer. Lamb Koftas and ‘Mint Jelly’ are excellent, as well as a side for potato salad, and BBQ’d lamb chops of course.
7. Whenever possible, when it’s in season, we like to use as much of our own garden mint to make the jelly. We also source mint from local markets, but we try to use as much from the North Tyne Valley as possible where it grows well.
8. Freshly picked garden peas, boiled and served with a teaspoon of our ‘Mint Jelly’ brings an added freshness to the dish, particularly with mashed potato.
9. ‘Mint Jelly’, for its sweet and fresh qualities, can be used very successfully in stock or gravy, especially using lamb dripping as an ingredient. Unique and divine.
10. A seasonal special. We have over 20 recipes on offer at The Pantry throughout the year, but they do vary through the seasons. We bring out our ‘Mint Jelly’ from the Spring and into Autumn with the special edition ‘Crab Apple Jelly’ being made from October onwards. A jelly to be enjoyed from Spring and into the summer!
Have you tried our ‘Mint Jelly‘? Why not visit our Online Pantry and pen a review?