About 3 Kilos of Apples (mix eaters with cookers for best flavour)
2 Vanilla Pods (optional)
2 Cinnamon Sticks
2 Lemons
A Handful of Sloes or Blackberries (optional)
2 Lemons
Sureset or Jelly Sugar to weight.

Quarter the apples and discard any rotten bits but leave in the skins and the cores.
Cover these with water in a large pot, add the cinnamon and the vanilla and bring to the boil.
Boil well until the apples are soft and have yielded most of their flavour.
Line a large sieve with a tea towel and sieve the mixture through this into a bowl.
(The advantage of the tea towel is that you can squeeze out the pulp in the end thus getting maximum yield and flavour-and cloud!.)

Measure this carefully, extract and keep the vanilla pods from the pulp.
In a large pot (give space for a big bubble up) pour in the juice and add a kilo of the sugar (or a portion of same) to exactly match the amount of juice, add the sloes (these are mainly for colour) and the lemon juice.

Stirring to dissolve the sugar bring this up to a rolling boil and then boil it so for a measured minute.
Pour into pots (cut up the vanilla pod and put a slice of this into each one for posh and extra flavour).

This is excellent with toast in the mornings, with cream on scones, or served with pork or lamb or indeed turkey!