Spice Up Your Pastry with Maple Jelly
Bread, waffles and other pastries are usually eaten with jam or jelly to give it extra flavor. After all, pastries are usually boring to eat by themselves. Jam or jelly provides the perfect contrast to the intense sweetness of some of the most popular desserts. Another great maple product is the maple jelly. It is made with pure maple syrup and gelatin.
Making Canadian maple butter is easy. The basic ingredients are maple syrup, water and genugel, which can be bought in maple stores. The recommended type of maple syrup to be used is the Grade A which is medium amber in color. The genugel is first whisked with cold water then maple syrup is later added. It is then boiled over medium heat. It is best to use a large pan for this procedure because the combined ingredients tend to foam about three times its size. While hot, carefully transfer the liquid to the jar making sure that no air bubbles are formed. Although, air bubbles do not affect the taste and quality of the jam, they will not look as good especially if it is intended as a gift. The excess foam is then removed. After, the jars are closed and soaked in cold water so they can solidify. The yield of this recipe is often low which is why doubling the quantity is advisable if you intend to make more jars of maple jelly.
Since this is a basic maple jelly recipe, it can be modified to suit your taste. Popular variations include the addition of fruits such as blueberries, strawberries, oranges and apples. Usually, purees of these fruits are added to the recipe. Maple jelly can be eaten like any other jelly in the market. It is perfect for scones, waffles, toasts, biscuits and bread. Maple sugar can also be used as fillings for pies and cakes. Since it has a high sucrose concentration, only small amounts are needed which makes it all the more attractive for buyers.