Jean MeriamHomemade Jelly- Recipes for the Scared and Hurried
August 29th 2009 02:18
Ever think homemade jelly was too complicated? Too many steps? Too high risk? Do you picture yourself pouring jars of unjelly-like soupy goup down the kitchen sink? You're not alone. Before having six children and witnessing, in awestruck dread, entire $5.00 jars of jelly disappear during the fifteen minutes it took for them to eat breakfast, I would glance at a family jelly recipe with its long list of steps that included crushing, cooking, straining, waiting and think to myself, "Not in this lifetime."
What I have discovered in the last few years is that making jelly can actually be quick. Really quick. The secret? Bottled juice. Why would a busy parent spend all that time crushing, cooking and straining fruit when the juice producers have so generously done that for us? Simply pop the top of your favorite brand juice and delicious jars of homemade jelly can be gleaming on your kitchen counter in a matter or minutes. The best part? For the cost of one jar of name brand grape jelly I usually end up with 3 or 4 jars of equal size and quality.
Just to note: when making grape jelly I always use Welch's grape juice and I use SunRype apple juice for the apple jelly. Use whatever brand is readily available locally, but be sure it is a quality brand as the more watered down versions do not seem to thicken as well. Juice beverage blends will not work will either. Use real juice.
For canning ease, pre-heat your oven to 275 degrees F. Place your bottles, 4-8oz with caps and rings on a clean cookie sheet and put in the oven for 15 minutes or longer to sterilize as you prepare the jelly. Make sure you have a good set of oven mitts or canning tongs ready to handle the jars as they will be hot and you will be pouring even hotter liquid into them. Be sure your jars are still hot when you fill them.
Easy Grape Jelly
Ingredients
5 cups Welch's grape juice
1small box powdered pectin (Certo) (no liquid will not work)
7 cups granulated sugar
In a large thick bottomed saucepan stir together juice and powdered pectin. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add all the sugar. Return to a hard boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir and skim for 2 or 3 minutes. Pour into warm jars. Place caps and rims on jars to allow to seal.
**I always like to tip the jars upside down for a few seconds after they are filled and closed to ensure the caps the remain sterile.**
Easy Apple Jelly
Ingredients
7 cups apple juice
2tbsp lemon juice
1small box powdered fruit pectin (Certo)
9 cups granulated sugar
1 tsp cinammon
Cooking directions are the same as for the grape jelly, but add the lemon juice to the certo and juice before adding the sugar and add the cinnamon while adding the sugar. This recipe will also fill at least one more jar than the grape jelly.
Enjoy
What I have discovered in the last few years is that making jelly can actually be quick. Really quick. The secret? Bottled juice. Why would a busy parent spend all that time crushing, cooking and straining fruit when the juice producers have so generously done that for us? Simply pop the top of your favorite brand juice and delicious jars of homemade jelly can be gleaming on your kitchen counter in a matter or minutes. The best part? For the cost of one jar of name brand grape jelly I usually end up with 3 or 4 jars of equal size and quality.
Just to note: when making grape jelly I always use Welch's grape juice and I use SunRype apple juice for the apple jelly. Use whatever brand is readily available locally, but be sure it is a quality brand as the more watered down versions do not seem to thicken as well. Juice beverage blends will not work will either. Use real juice.
For canning ease, pre-heat your oven to 275 degrees F. Place your bottles, 4-8oz with caps and rings on a clean cookie sheet and put in the oven for 15 minutes or longer to sterilize as you prepare the jelly. Make sure you have a good set of oven mitts or canning tongs ready to handle the jars as they will be hot and you will be pouring even hotter liquid into them. Be sure your jars are still hot when you fill them.
Easy Grape Jelly
Ingredients
5 cups Welch's grape juice
1small box powdered pectin (Certo) (no liquid will not work)
7 cups granulated sugar
In a large thick bottomed saucepan stir together juice and powdered pectin. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add all the sugar. Return to a hard boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir and skim for 2 or 3 minutes. Pour into warm jars. Place caps and rims on jars to allow to seal.
**I always like to tip the jars upside down for a few seconds after they are filled and closed to ensure the caps the remain sterile.**
Easy Apple Jelly
Ingredients
7 cups apple juice
2tbsp lemon juice
1small box powdered fruit pectin (Certo)
9 cups granulated sugar
1 tsp cinammon
Cooking directions are the same as for the grape jelly, but add the lemon juice to the certo and juice before adding the sugar and add the cinnamon while adding the sugar. This recipe will also fill at least one more jar than the grape jelly.
Enjoy
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