Jersey black butter making returns to The Elms

Black butter making.
Volunteers are asked to come along to help but will have to pre-book times spaces to peel due to coronavirus restrictions. Credit: ITV Channel TV

The ancient art of black butter making has returned to The Elms in Jersey.

The National Trust for Jersey is making the traditional conserve with apples from its orchards and others around the island. The event is taking place a month sooner than usual as a result of an early harvest.

Volunteers are asked to come along to help but will have to pre-book times to peel due to coronavirus restrictions. This also means there will not be an annual market.

Today apple peeling resumes early in the morning then the fire will be lit in the bake house and the peeled apples will start to be added to a giant copper pot called a bachin.

Stirring the mixture will start in the day and continue all throughout the night until the early hours of Saturday morning. Towards the end of the cooking, spices, liquorice and lemons will be added and around midday jars will be filled with the freshly made black butter, labelled and topped with fabric covers. These will be available for sale in the coming weeks.

For more information you can email: enquiries@nationaltrust.je.