Ingredients
1½ kg crab apples  
5 cloves 
2 star anise 
500g granulated sugar per 600ml of extract - see below 

Equipment  
Jam jars (recycled ones are fine, they just need to be thoroughly cleaned) 
Muslin cloth 
Non-metallic bowl or jug 
Non-metallic sieve or colander 

Method
Without peeling or coring the crab apples, cut them into halves or quarters depending on their size, discarding any bruised or damaged pieces.  

Put the cut crab apples in a heavy based pan and add just enough water to cover them. Add the cloves and star anise to the pot and over a medium heat, bring to the boil. 

Once the water starts to boil, reduce the heat so that the liquid is barely simmering and leave simmering gently for about 1½ hours stirring from time to time until the crab apples are soft.   

When your crab apples are soft you need to strain them into a non metallic jug or bowl without disturbing them too much otherwise the liquid will go cloudy* I took a large glass jug with a muslin cloth lined plastic strainer and left dripping for 24 hours. Remember your jug or bowl needs to be large enough for all of the liquid. 

* Jelly should be crystal clear and this is why you need to be gentle and try not to disturb the crab apples too much. This means when you are finished straining just carefully move the pulped fruit away and discard.  I was really careful and my liquid was a little cloudy which really upset me. After the boiling however the cloud gave way to a beautiful crystal clear pink liquid. If you really don’t mind if your jelly is cloudy then feel free to squeeze out every last drop of liquid. 

Preheat your oven to 180c and put 3 saucers or tea plates into your freezer. 

Measure the liquid and pour into a heavy based pan.  You now need to add 500g of sugar for every 600ml of liquid.  This is 0.83 grams of sugar for every 100ml of liquid.  So if your liquid is 700ml you will need 581g of sugar.  I weigh the liquid on my scales for accuracy and use my calculator to work out exactly what is needed. 

Wash your jars and lids in warm soapy water and put the jars into the oven for 20 mins. 

Gently heat the mixture, stirring all the time, until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil and boil rapidly for about 10 minutes. To test if the jelly is set you can either use a sugar thermometer until the temperature reads 105c or; after 10 minutes, take the jelly off of the heat, take one of your cold plates from the freezer and put a teaspoon of the jelly onto it.  Leave to cool for a couple of mins.  After 2 mins, push your finger against the jelly, if it wrinkles then it is ready to use.  

If it is not, put the jelly back on to boil for another 2 minutes and try again. 

Once you are happy, remove the pan from the heat and remove any scum that is on the top of the jelly.  Remove a jar very carefully from the oven with oven gloves and fill the still warm jelly into the hot jars. Put the lid on to the jelly and using oven gloves turn the jar upside down and leave for 2 minutes.   

Turn back up the right way, label and store in a cool, dry, dark place.  Refrigerate after opening.