Jellies and Jams

How to make jelly or jam out of just about anything!

    On this page you will find a table of jam and jelly recipes. The fruits are alphabetically listed.


    A NOTE ABOUT PECTIN
    Buying surejel (pectin) in the little boxes is very expensive. You can find it in bulk at bulk food stores under the name SureJel or Dutch Jel. All these recipes call for POWDERED pectin. Many old time recipes call for "a bottle of Certo" or suchlike. I personally have never in my life seen a bottle of liquid pectin. If you find powdered pectin in bulk, make sure it is NOT "Clear Jel". Clear Jel is something different altogether, so do NOT substitute with it.

    EXTRACTING JUICE FOR JELLY PREPARATION
    Prepare the fruit as specified in the recipe. Place 3 layers of damp cheesecloth in a strainer over a bowl, OR if you have a jelly bag, place it in its frame over a bowl. Add prepared fruit and let it drip for 4 hours or until dripping stops. Squeeze gently to get the last of the juice. Proceed with your jelly recipe.

    BASIC INSTRUCTIONS FOR ALL COOKED JELLIES AND JAMS
    • Prepare and measure fruit (or juice for jelly) into an 8 quart pot. Add lemon juice if the recipe calls for it.
    • Carefully (exactly) measure sugar into a separate clean bowl.
    • Add and stir in a slightly rounded 1/3 cup of pectin to the fruit (or juice).
    • Bring mixture to a full rolling boil (a boil that cannot be stirred down) over high heat, stirring constantly.
    • Quickly (all at once) add sugar to the boiling fruit mixture.
    • Bring to a full rolling boil and boil 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
    • Remove from heat and skim off any foam.
    • Fill jars quickly to 1/8 inch of jar top and wipe rims.
    • Cover quickly with hot flat lids and screw bands on tightly.
    • Water bath to seal jars or you can try the invert method: Invert jars for 5 minutes, then turn upright.

    ALL OF THESE RECIPES YIELD APPROXIMATELY 4 PINTS


FruitPrepare FruitAmount of Crushed Fruit (or juice for jelly) Amount of SugarOther Ingr.

Apple

Jelly Cut up 4 lbs of apples and simmer covered with 4 c. water for 15 min. 5 cups 7 cups  

Apple

from BOTTLED apple juice 		Jelly   4 cups 5 1/2 cups  

Apricot

Jam Pit, but do not peel. Cut up and crush. 5 cups 7 cups 4 T. lemon juice

Beet

Jelly Cook clean trimmed beets to make juice. 4 cups juice 6 cups 1/2 c. lemon juice

Blackberry

Jam Crush 5 cups 7 cups  

Blackberry

Jelly Crush 3 qts berries and simmer 5 min. 4 cups juice 5 1/2 cups 4 T. lemon juice

Blueberry

Jam Crush 4 cups 5 cups 2 T. lemon juice

Blueberry

Jelly Crush 2 qts berries and simmer with 1 c. water for 10 min. 3 cups juice 4 cups 4 T. lemon juice

Cherry (sweet or sour)

Jam Pit and crush well. 4 cups 5 cups 2 T. lemon juice for sweet cherries, none for sour cherries.

Cherry (sour)

Jelly Crush (don't pit) 3 1/2 lbs SOUR cherries and simmer with 1/2 c. water for 10 min. 4 cups juice 5 1/2 cups  

Corn Cob

Jelly Remove kernals from 12 cobs of red field corn. Cover cobs with water and boil 20 min. 3 cups 4 cups  

Crabapple

Jelly Cut up 4 lbs of crabapples and simmer covered with 4 c. water for 15 min. 5 cups 7 cups  

Cranberry

Jelly   3 c. cranberry juice cocktail plus 1 c. unsw pineapple juice 5 cups 1/3 c. lemon juice

Dewberry

Jam Crush. 5 cups 7 cups  

Elderberry

Jelly Crush 3 lbs berries and simmer 10 min. 3 cups 4 1/2 cups 4 T. lemon juice

Fig

Jam Peel and grind. 5 cups 7 1/2 cups 1/2 c. lemon juice and 1/2 c. water

Grape

Jam Slip skins, add 1 c. water, simmer 5 min, remove seeds. 6 cups 7 cups  

Grape

Jelly Crush, add 1 c. water, simmer 10 min. 4 cups 6 1/2 cups  

Grape

from BOTTLED grape juice 		Jelly   4 cups 5 1/2 cups  

Kudzu Blossom

Jelly Wash 4 c. kudzu blossoms in cold water and place in bowl. Pour 4 c. BOILING water over them and refrigerate 8 hours. Strain and discard blossoms. 4 cups (NOTE: juice will be gray until lemon juice is added) 5 cups 1 T. lemon juice

Loganberry

Jam Crush 5 cups 7 cups  

Mint

Jelly Add 1 1/2 c. packed mint leaves to 3 1/4 c. water and bring to a quick boil. Remove from heat and let steep 10 min. 3 cups juice 4 cups  

Mint Apple

Jelly Add 1 c. chopped mint leaves to 4 c. apple juice and bring to a quick boil. Remove from heat and let steep 5 min. 4 cups juice 3 cups Optional: color with green vegetable coloring

Peach

Jam Peel, pit, and crush. 4 cups 5 1/2 cups 2 T. lemon juice

Peach

from pits and peels 		Jelly When canning peaches, save 2 qts pits and peels. Barely cover with water, simmer 30 min. Cool overnight. 4 1/2 cups 6 cups  

Pear

Jam Peel, core, and chop. 5 cups 7 cups 3 T. lemon juice and 1/4 tsp. ground cloves.

Pear

Jelly Chop 3 1/2 lbs pears and simmer with 3 1/2 c. water. 4 cups juice 5 1/2 cups 2 T. lemon juice and 1/4 tsp. ground cloves.

Pineapple

canned crushed 		Jam Do not drain juice. 4 cups 6 cups  

Plum (sweet)

Jam Pit, cut up, and crush. 5 cups 7 cups 4 T. lemon juice

Plum (sour)

Jam Pit, cut up, and crush. 6 cups 8 1/2 cups  

Plum (sweet or sour)

Jelly Crush (don't peel or pit) 5 lbs plums and simmer with 1 1/2 c. water for 10 min. 5 1/2 cups juice 7 1/2 cups 4 T. lemon juice for sweet plums, none for sour plums.

Prickly Pear Cactus

Jelly CAREFULLY remove fine thorns and blossom ends from 3 lbs ripe cactus fruit. Cut into small pieces and crush. Simmer with 1 c. water for 10 min. 3 1/2 cups juice 7 cups 2 T. lemon juice

Pyracantha (Firethorn)

Jelly Boil 3 heaping qts clean berries in 3 c. water for 20 min. Add 2 T. grapefruit juice and 1 T. lemon juice and bring to boil again briefly. 3 1/2 cups 4 1/2 cups 1/4 tsp. salt

Quince

Jelly Wash and rub fuzz off 4 lbs of quinces. Cut up and simmer covered with 4 c. water for 15 min. 5 cups 7 cups  

Raspberry

Jam Crush 5 cups 7 cups  

Raspberry

Jelly Crush 3 qts berries and simmer 5 min. 4 cups juice 5 1/2 cups 4 T. lemon juice

Rhubarb

Jam Trim but don't peel 2 1/2 lb rhubarb. Slice thinly and mix with 1 c. water. Bring to a boil, cover, simmer 2 min 4 1/2 cups 6 1/2 cups  

Strawberry

Jam Top and crush 5 cups 7 cups 4 T. lemon juice

Strawberry

from frozen strawberries 		Jam Thaw and crush 3 1/2 cups thawed 3 cups 1 T. lemon juice

Tomato (ripe red)

Jam Peel, crush, and simmer 10 min. 3 1/2 cups 5 1/2 cups 4 T. lemon juice, 1 T. lemon zest, 1/2 tsp. EACH cloves, allspice, cinnamon

Tomato

Jelly   2 c. home canned tomato juice 4 cups 1/2 c. lemon juice and 2 tsp. Tabasco sauce

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