Making Apple Jelly for Pectin

Enjoy this homemade apple jelly on peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, spread on toast, or use it as a natural pectin in other jams.

For an added bonus, make apple sauce using the leftover pulp from the apples once you’ve run them through the food mill or strainer.

I love apple season!  There are so many different varieties to choose from, and they taste so much better when you pick them yourself at a local orchard or get from a local farmer’s market.

Eating apples raw is a delicious and healthy way to enjoy them, but you can also enjoy the flavors of the season by canning apple butters and jellies.

Did you know apple jelly can be used as natural pectin?

Apple Jelly has always been my favorite jelly. I typically enjoy it on a PB&J sandwich or toast, but recently I learned you can also use apple jelly as natural pectin in other jams.

I decided to make some apple jelly to eat on my sandwiches and toast and save some to use in other recipes that need extra pectin to come together.

I got the recipe for this Apple Jelly Pectin from Wendy of SUNCHOWDER’S EMPORIA.  Wendy makes beautiful artisan jams, chutneys and pickles.

Wendy made Sweet Cherry Pinot Grigio Jam with some of her apple pectin.  I made Muscadine Jelly.  The apple jelly pectin worked really well in the muscadine jelly.

 

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Granny Smith Apple Jelly Recipe

Yield: 7-8 jars of jelly

You can find Wendy’s recipe here.

This jelly is made with Granny Smith apples.  It does take a little effort, but the rewards are worth it.  You get several jars of jelly and some apple sauce if you choose process the apple pulp rather than discarding or composting it.

Ingredients:

4 Pounds Granny Smith Apples (whole)
5 cups sugar
6 1/2 cups water
1 Juice of large Lemon

Directions:

Scrub the apples and cut the fruit into quarters leaving the skin intact. Place them into a large Dutch oven and cover with the 6 1/2 cups of water.

Bring this up to a slow boil and simmer on low for about 35 minutes (the apples should just be starting to fall apart).

Press the jelly through a sieve, jelly strainer, or cheese cloth

At this point, you can put the cooked apples through a jelly strainer or pour them through a cheese cloth.  I opted to use my new favorite  tool – a chinois.

A chinois is a funnel-shaped sieve that fits inside a three-pronged stand.  You place the fruit pulp in the top of the funnel and using the wooden tool, press the jelly through the sieve.  It conveniently drips to a bowl placed underneath. This handy gadget makes the jelly-making process much easier.

To use the chinois, set a container out (I used a big pot) and rest your chinois inside. Pour the apple mixture into the chinois and use the wooden tool or the back of a spatula to press all the juice out of the mixture.  I just love using the chinois but if you don’t have one, you can use a strainer.

Take this juice and strain it again.  I used a small strainer and a wet piece of cheesecloth and poured the mixture through a couple of times to ensure the jelly would be clear.

Now take 4 1/2 cups of this mixture and place it in your preserving pan–add the sugar and lemon.

Bring this mixture up to a boil and continue to hold there until your thermometer reaches 221. You can skim the mixture as you go. Once you reach 221, shut the fire and let it rest for 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes, turn the fire back up to reach 221 degrees. This little rest ensures a good gel.  It worked!  It’s starting to gel!

Pour this mixture into 8 oz sterilized jars and add the lids and rings.

Process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes. If you live in a higher altitude or need more detailed instructions on water-bath canning, please refer to the instructions at the National Center for Home Preservation

Remove the canner lid and let the jars sit in the canner for 5 minutes.  Then place them on the counter to sit overnight until the seals set. Listen for the ping, ping.  I just love that sound.

Even if you hear the jars pop, it’s best to check all of the seals to make sure they sealed properly.   If any of the jars didn’t seal properly, you can reseal the jars, or place them in the refrigerator and consume within a few days.

Jars that are sealed properly can be stored in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year.  Don’t forget to save some of the apple jelly to use as pectin to make another delicious jam.

Make apple sauce using leftover apple pulp

After running the apples through the chinois and making the apple jelly, there was a lot of apple pulp left over. I didn’t want to waste it so I got out my trusty food mill and processed the apple pulp into apple sauce.

Look at all of this delicious apple sauce.  I added some cinnamon sugar and enjoyed it for several days. It was so good!

 

I had fun making this apple jelly.  I am very pleased with the results.  Four pounds of apples turned into 7 jars of apple jelly/pectin, and a quart of apple sauce.  My grandmother would be proud.

 

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Some resources I use for canning and jam making

• Ball Canning Back to Basics
• The Complete Book of Small-Batch Preserving
• Keeping The Harvest: Discover the Homegrown Goodness of Putting Up Your Own Fruits, Vegetables and Herbs
• National Center for Home Preservation

 

Happy Canning!
Cathy