Pomegranate jelly ingredients
'Tis the season for Pomegranates. Those who are lucky enough to have a tree can use these beautiful little jewels in all kinds of recipes. Making Pomegranate jelly is a great way to use an abundant harvest of fall pomegranate fruits.
Instructions
1. Harvest pomegranates from the tree. Make pomegranate jelly to quickly use up the fruits that have started to crack open. One batch of jelly uses about 16 pomegranates, depending on the size. Figure about 1/2 to 1 cup of cleaned seeds per fruit.
2. Sit in the shade outside where juices won't stain surrounding items. Use one bucket for the discards and one bowl for the seeds. Get the kids to help if they don't eat more than they peel.
3. Score each fruit in fourths with a sharp knife just through the skin and break open with hands. Gently rub the seeds out and remove the inner lining between the sections of seeds. The peel, yellow skin and fruits can stain the hands and fingers. The darker seeded fruit makes the best jelly but also stains more. Protect clothing too.
4. Put the seeds in a blender or food processor and pulse until all the kernels are broken to release the juices. Layer a colander with several layers of cheesecloth and drain the juices out with slight twisting and pressure. Strain more than once with more layers of cheesecloth to make pomegranate jelly that is clearer.
5. If no blender or is available, the seeds can also be simmered in a large kettle with enough water to stop scorching until soft. Mash with a potato masher. Layer a colander with cheesecloth and pour the seeds in to drain and remove the seeds. Twist and press the cloth to remove all the juices from the fruit.
6. Squeeze the juice from two lemons and add to the pomegranate juice. Measure to get 3 3/4 cups of juice, add a little water if needed or bottled pomegranate juice. Put in large canning kettle.
7. Add one box of powder pectin to the cold juice and stir until dissolved. Bring to a boil that can't be stirred down. Add all the sugar and continue stirring until it returns to a rolling full boil.
8. Follow the directions on the pectin for the amount of time to boil after adding the sugar. If not sure how long to boil, check by seeing slight gelling on the spoon when it is lifted out of the pot and cooling in the air.
9. Remove from heat, skim off foam and ladle into clean sterilized glass jars. Seal with sterilized canning lids and in a water bath canner. Jelly can also be sealed with paraffin wax using sterilized if you have learned do this. It can be difficult to use the wax method and the jelly won't store as long.
Tags: blender food, blender food processor, colander with, food processor, glass jars
