Cherry Jelly

Total Time: 1 hr Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups cherry juice
• 1 cup water
• 1 (1 3/4 ounce) package dry pectin
• 4 1/2 cups sugar

Recipe

• 1 to make juice:
• 2 select fully ripe cherries.
• 3 softly wash. remove stems. do not pit!
• 4 in large pot, crush cherries (i use a potato masher.).
• 5 add 1 cup water to crushed cherries.
• 6 bring to a boil over high heat.
• 7 reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
• 8 strain juice through a jelly bag or cheesecloth. (i use a fine mesh "sifter" lined with a coffee filter.).
• 9 toss pits, pulp, and peels.
• 10 to make jelly:
• 11 measure 3 1/2 cups juice into large pot.
• 12 add pectin and stir.
• 13 place on high heat and stir constantly.
• 14 bring to a full rolling boil (that can't be stirred down).
• 15 add sugar, continue stirring and bring to a full rolling boil once more.
• 16 boil hard for 1 minute.
• 17 remove from heat.
• 18 skim off foam.
• 19 ladle into hot jelly jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. apply lids and rings.
• 20 process in hot water bath for 5 minutes.
• 21 note: i used 1 gallon of cherries and had a little more than 3 1/2 cups juice. of course, it also depends on the quality of the fruit.