Last week, I discovered a quart of crabapple juice in the freezer. This must have been from last fall's harvest of crabapples. I typically pick the crabapples, simmer them in water to extract the juice, then freeze for making jelly later in the year, when I have canning jars available again. On Friday, I cooked this quart of juice into jelly.
Up until recently, my jelly-making was rather hit or miss. I didn't use a method consistently, and consequently sometimes my jelly turned out, and sometimes it didn't. So, determined to get this right, I read all I could on jelly-making. If you've seen my other posts on jelly-making, you'd know that I've gone about this almost scientifically. I was determined to find some sort of formula, that would give me consistently good results. And you know what? There is such a "formula". It involves choosing fruit that is high in pectin, extracting the juice from that fruit in a specific way, and cooking the jelly by both time and temperature, much like other recipes.
Just the other day, I used this tried and true method for cooking jelly, with success. This jelly has no added pectin. Check out the photo below. See how the jelly doesn't drip, fall, or pour out of the upturned container. Of course, it helps that this is crabapple jelly, and crabapples are well-known for their high pectin content. Still, I have had failed batches of crabapple jelly in the past, due to my improper extraction of the juice followed by my haphazard cooking methods.
I know this info is out there in many places. But just wanted to reiterate the time-tested method for cooking jelly without added pectin. This method works.
To make jelly without added pectin, use fruit that already has a high pectin content.(See info for pectin content in link for extracting pectin.) Extract juice with this method. Measure juice. For every 1 cup (240 mL) of juice, use 3/4 cup (150 g) of sugar. You'll also need a candy-making thermometer.
In a stainless saucepan, bring fruit juice to a boil over HI heat, stirring to prevent scorching. Boil for 10 minutes. Stir in sugar, bring back to a boil, and continue cooking for another 10 minutes, at a boil. In the last 1 or 2 minutes, begin testing using temperature as a guide to determine doneness with this table. When jelly reaches the desired temperature it should be done. Skim off foam. Fill jars and seal. Even if the jelly does not look completely set, allow it to sit on the counter for up to 2 weeks. Mine will sometimes gel right away, and sometimes after a few days.
Making jams and jelly is work with a high satisfaction rating in my book. Transforming fruit into pretty little jars with jewel-like attraction, followed with storing away for the cold months of winter, just puts a smile on my face. I wish you much success in your own jelly-making endeavors.
And if you have a batch of jelly that just didn't jell, see the instructions here for fixing it.
