Friday, November 13, 2009

Holiday Jelly

Pomegranate, Orange, Cranberry, Quince Jelly (yummy)
approx 3 pomegranate
1lb cranberries
2 largish quince
and some Orange Juice all together 4 cups juice (mixture of above fruits)
Optional 1 orange for a more marmalade style jelly
4 cups water
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
7-1/2 cups sugar
Optional 1/2 tsp. butter or margarine
1 Fruit Pectin pouch
three layers of cheese cloth

Prepare Fruit - Gather seeds of pomegranate, remove cores from quince and finely chop (food processor works well) , rinse cranberries and remove any stems. If you want the marmalade style use a food chopper and finely chop the peeled orange ( but don't combine the orange with the rest of the fruit).

Combine pomegranate, cranberry, and quince with the 4 cups water and bring to a boil then let simmer for 15 min -30 min. The water should be a pretty red color. Place cheesecloth over a bowl and strain fruit through. I find this takes a while and that squeezing helps.
Prepare for canning. This is from the certo website.

BRING boiling-water canner, half full with water, to simmer. Wash jars and screw bands in hot soapy water; rinse with warm water. Pour boiling water over flat lids in saucepan off the heat. Let stand in hot water until ready to use. Drain well before filling.

Using the strained juice and adding OJ make 4 cups juice. It varies depending on the fruit as to how much OJ you need. Put into a large saucepan and add the lemon juice 1/4 cup ( if you heat up a whole lemon in the microwave it yields more juice. Just don't burn yourself)For the marmalade style jelly add your orange bits now.

Once again we go to the certo directions

STIR sugar into juice in sauce pot. Add butter to reduce foaming, if desired. Bring mixture to full rolling boil (a boil that doesn't stop bubbling when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in pectin. Return to full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 minute,stirring constantly. Remove from heat and skim off foam with metal spoon.

LADLE immediately into prepared jars, filling to within 1/8 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with 2-piece lids. Screw bands tightly. Place jars on elevated rack in canner. Lower rack into canner. (Water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches. Add boiling water, if necessary.) Cover; bring water to gentle boil. Process 5 minutes. Remove jars and place upright on towel to cool completely. After jars cool, check seals by pressing middle of lid with finger. (If lid springs back, lid is not sealed and refrigeration is necessary.)

I love this jelly!
The color is wonderful!

Monday, November 09, 2009