Extension > Food > Food Safety > Preserving and preparing > Fruits > Sandcherry jelly made from wild fruit
Sandcherry jelly made from wild fruit
Jelly is made from fruit juice and sugar. A gel structure will be achieved only if the mixture contains sufficient pectin. Often commercial pectin will be added to obtain this desired structure. Most fruit gives 1 to 1-1/3 cups juice per pound of fruit.
Extraction of juice from the fruit is the first step in the preparation of fruit jelly.
- When extracting juice for pectin-added jelly use ripe sandcherries.*
- Wash the fruit in cool running water.
- Add 1/4 cup water for each pound of sandberries.
- Bring to a boil in a covered stainless steel or enamel kettle and then simmer for 10-15 minutes.
- Cool and strain through cheesecloth or a damp jelly bag.
Sandcherry jelly recipe
3 1/2 cups sandcherry juice3 1/2 cups sugar
1 package powdered pectin
Combine juice and pectin. Bring mixture to a hard boil and immediately add sugar and stir. Bring to full, rolling boil and boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, skim off foam. Pour jelly into hot, sterilized half-pint jars to 1/4 inch of top and seal with two-piece canning lids. Process in a boiling water bath for 6 minutes (10 minutes for cold, unsterile jars).
* The use of paraffin is no longer recommended. Minnesota Extension advises the use of two-piece lids.
References
- South Dakota State University Cooperative Extension Service
Revised 2011 by Lou Ann Jopp. Peer reviewed 2009 by Deb Botzek-Linn.
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