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Unusual Jelly Recipes: Rose Hip Jelly, Cranberry, Cactus Jelly, Sangria Jelly, Mint Jelly, Prickly Pear Jelly, Chokecherry Jelly, Etc.

Unusual Jelly Recipes

Below are a number of unusual but tested jelly recipes.  I haven't tried all of them myself, as many of them require exotic ingredients (or just don't appeal to me).  But if you like them, let me know how well they work for you!

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Sangria Jelly

1 1/2 cups burgundy wine
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons orange liqueur
3 cups sugar
1 pouch (3 oz.) liquid pectin

Combine wine, juices, and liqueur in top of double boiler. Stir until sugar is dissolved, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat. At once, stir in liquid pectin and mix well. Skim off foam. Pour into sterile jars leaving 1/8" headspace. Wipe jar rims, adjust lids and rings. Fill and lid each remaining jar. Water bath 5 minutes.

Wine Jelly

3 cups sugar
2 cups wine
1 pouch (3 oz.) liquid pectin

Measure sugar and wine into top of double boiler, mix well. Stir until sugar is dissolved, 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat. At once, stir in liquid pectin and mix well. Skim off foam, if necessary. Quickly pour hot jelly into sterile jars leaving 1/8" headspace. Wipe jar rims, adjust lids and rings, and continue with additional jars as needed. Water bath 5 minutes.

Mint Apple Jelly

Yields 7 half-pints

1 qt. canned apple juice
1 pkg. powdered fruit pectin
5 drops of green food coloring (opt.)
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
5 1/2 cups sugar

Combine juice, food coloring and pectin in large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Add sugar and stir until dissolved. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and skim. Pour into sterile jars, leaving

1/8" headspace. Wipe jar rims, adjust lids and rings. Water bath 5 minutes.

Chokecherry Jelly (without pectin)

3 cups juice
6 1/2 cups (2 3/4 lbs.) sugar
2 pouches liquid pectin

To prepare juice, stem about 3 pounds fully ripe cherries (a few green berries are ok as they add acid and pectin). Add just enough water, bring to a good simmer, cover, and simmer 15 minutes. (For flavor, add 1/4 teaspoon almond extract before measuring.) Strain through cloth (see page 1) and let drip (overnight is good).

Measure sugar and juice into large pan over heat and stir to dissolve sugar. Bring quickly to a full boil that cannot be stirred down.

Add liquid pectin. Bring to full rolling boil for 1 minute. Check for gel. Remove from heat and skim if necessary.

Pour into sterile jars (see page 1), leaving

1/8" headspace. Wipe jar rims, adjust lids and rings. Water bath 5 minutes.

Chokecherry Jelly (with pectin)

Simmer fruit in small amount of water and strain (see page 1). Follow directions in pectin package for Sour Cherry jelly.

Cranberry Jelly (Jellies Cranberries)

Yields 1 pint

(This recipe can be multiplies - to make a larger batch)

2 cups water
1 lb. cranberries
1 3/4 cups sugar

Bring water to a boil, add berries and cook for 8 minutes or until berries stop popping. Put berries through a sieve, add sugar to juice. Bring to a quick boil. Pour into sterile jars, leaving 1/8" headspace. Wipe jar rims, adjust lids and rings. Water bath 5 minutes.

Corn Cob Jelly

To Make Juice: Cover 6-12 fresh or clean dry corn cobs with water and boil 15 minutes. Strain juice through cloth bag

To Make Jelly:

3 cups juice
3/4 cup sugar
1 pkg. powdered pectin

Follow pectin package directions for making apple jelly except the mixture should be boiled for 3 minutes. Tint red or green if desired. Pour into sterile jars, leaving 1/8" headspace. Wipe jar rims, adjust lids and rings. Water bath 5 minutes.

Dandelion Jelly

Boil 1 quart dandelion blossoms, picked fresh (no stems) in 1 quart water for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir juice.

Measure out and use 3 cups. Add 1 teaspoon lemon or orange extract, 1 package powdered pectin. Bring to boil. Add 4 1/2 cup sugar. Boil until gelled. Pour into sterile jars, leaving 1/8" headspace. Wipe jar rims, adjust lids and rings. Water bath 5 minutes. (Concentrated frozen juice or fresh lemon juice may be used instead of extract).

Rose Hip Jelly

NOTE: Rose hips contain tannic acid in the seeds which cause a chalky taste. (Slit hips down one side and knock out seeds, or take pin and push out seeds before cooking for jelly.) The rose hips reduce by 2/3, so you will need 3 cups of raw rose hips for each cup of puree.

Rose hips have little or no pectin; therefore, a gel is difficult to achieve without added pectin. For this reason, we strongly recommend using pectin!

With Pectin: Yields 7 jars

9 cups raw fresh rose hips - to make 3 cups rose hip puree
l pkg. powdered low sugar or no sugar pectin
2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 cups sugar
Add coloring, if desired

Simmer the prepared rose hips in water until soft -- about 10-15 minutes. Mash with a potato masher until smooth or puree in a blender. If you want extra smooth, clear jelly, filter through a jelly strainer or cheesecloth.

Combine 3 cups of the puree with pectin and lemon juice. Bring to a boil. Add sugar, boil hard for 1 minute. Pour into sterile jars, leaving 1/8" headspace. Wipe jar rims, adjust lids and rings. Water bath 5 minutes.

Without Pectin: Yields 2 jars

3 cups raw fresh rose hips - to make 1 cup rose hip puree
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Simmer the prepared rose hips in water until soft -- about 10-15 minutes. Mash with a potato masher until smooth or puree in a blender. If you want extra smooth, clear jelly, filter through a jelly strainer or cheesecloth.

Then boil until gel stage and pour into sterile jars, leaving 1/8" headspace. Wipe jar rims, adjust lids and rings. Water bath 5 minutes.

Rose Petal Jelly

In blender, put 1 cup rose petals, 3/4 cup water and juice of 1 lemon. Blend until smooth. Gradually add 2 1/2 cups sugar and blend until sugar is dissolved. In a separate small pan, stir 1 package powdered pectin into 3/4 cup water and boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly. Pour hot mixture into blender and blend slowly until mixed. Pour into sterile jars and cover. Cool jars for 6 hours and then refrigerate. Keeps for about a month. (Be sure to gather fresh petals that are free from spray and insect dust.)

Helpful Hints: Gather the roses in the morning before the sun has distilled their flavor and fragrance. Wild roses are best. But any fragrant rose, provided it has not been sprayed with poisonous insecticides, is fine.

The white base of the rose petal is bitter and should be clipped away. Grasp as many petals as possible between your finger and thumb. Pull them from stems and snip away all white bases at once with a pair of shears.

Since the jelly keeps for only a month in the refrigerator, freeze it for next winter.

Serve with muffins that have a slight mace flavor. Mace is said to enhance rose flavor.

Tomato Jelly

Yields 6 medium glasses

1 3/4 cups canned tomato juice
1/2 cup strained fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce
4 cups sugar
1 pouch (3 oz.) liquid fruit pectin

Combine all ingredients except pectin. Stir over high heat until mixture reaches a full boil. Stir in pectin and bring again to a full boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir and skim for about 3 minutes. Pour into sterile jars, leaving

1/8" headspace. Wipe jar rims, adjust lids and rings. Water bath 5 minutes.

This "lively" flavored jelly is equally good served with meats or spread on hot bread.

Beet Jelly

To Make Juice: Thoroughly wash 4-5 red beets. Cover with water and boil till tender (20-30 minutes). Strain juice (see page 1). Slip skins from beets and use as buttered or Harvard beets.

To Make Jelly:

4 cups beet juice
1 cup lemon juice (may use bottled)
7 cups sugar
1 pkg. powdered pectin

Follow directions on pectin instruction sheet for apple jelly. At high altitude, boil final mixture 4-5 minutes until gel stage is reached. If fresh beets are not available, canned beets may be substituted. Pour into sterile jars, leaving 1/8" headspace. Wipe jar rims, adjust lids and rings. Water bath 5 minutes.

Mexicalli Jelly (Jalepeno or Hot Pepper Jelly)

Yields 5 Cups

Uses any hot chilies and peppers.

1/2 cup fresh hot chilies (seeded, ground) (about 1/2 lb. makes this amount)
1/2 cup sweet bell peppers (seeded and stemmed -- 2 medium peppers makes this amount)
1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
5 cups sugar
2 pouches liquid pectin

Grind chilies and bell peppers. Combine chilies, bell peppers and vinegar in pan. Bring to boil and simmer 15 minutes. Strain through cloth (see page 1). Do not squeeze out liquid, let drip to get a clear liquid.

Add sugar to strained liquid. Stirring constantly, bring to boil over high heat for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in pectin. Skim if necessary. Pour amber-colored jelly into sterile jars, leaving 1/8" headspace. Wipe jar rims, adjust lids and rings. Water bath 5 minutes.

Prickly Pear Jelly

This recipe may sometimes be sticky depending on the maturity of the cactus.

4 cups cactus juice
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 1/2 pkg. powdered pectin
6 cups sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt

Use kitchen tongs to gather cactus fruit. Select ripe fruits and a few green fruits. Wash fruits with hand spray, place in large pan with water to almost cover. Cook for 10 minutes. Mash with potato masher and cook 10 minutes longer. Strain through cloth as for any other juice for jelly (see page 1).

Place cactus juice, lemon juice and pectin in large pan. Bring to boil, stirring constantly, and add sugar and salt all at once. Bring to a boil 3 minutes until gel stage is reached. Pour into sterile jars, leaving 1/8" headspace. Wipe jar rims, adjust lids and rings. Water bath 5 minutes.

Cactus Jelly

Remove spines from prickly pear cactus fruit, wash, cut in quarters, and put in pan, adding enough water to nearly cover. Cook slowly until fruit is very soft and almost a pulp. Strain through jelly bag moistened first with hot water. Let drain overnight or 12 hours (see page 1).

Heat juice quickly to a boil and boil for 5 minutes. Remove foam and measure liquid. Add 3/4 to 1 cup sugar for each cup of juice, and 1 tablespoon lemon or orange juice. Cook until gel stage is reached. Pour into sterile jars, leaving 1/8" headspace. Wipe jar rims, adjust lids and rings. Water bath 5 minutes.

Black Currant Jelly

Yield 6 small jars

3 3/4 cups black currant juice
3/4 cup lemon juice
1 pkg. powdered pectin
6 cups sugar

To Prepare Fruit: Crush currants, place in kettle. Just barely cover currants with water. Simmer until soft, extract juice.

To Make Jelly: Measure sugar into dry bowl to be added later. Measure black currant juice into 6 or 8 quart kettle. If short of juice, fill last cup with water to equal exact amount. Add lemon juice. Add pectin to juice in kettle; stir well.

Place over high heat; bring to boil, stirring constantly. Add measured sugar, mix well. Continue stirring and bring to a full rolling boil. Boil hard 2 minutes, remove from heat. Pour into sterile jars, leaving 1/8" headspace. Wipe jar rims, adjust lids and rings. Water bath 5 minutes.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Jelly

1 1/2 lb. red stalks of rhubarb
1 1/2 qt. ripe strawberries
1/2 teaspoon butter/margarine to reduce foaming (opt.)
6 cups sugar
6 oz. liquid pectin

Wash and cut rhubarb into 1" pieces and blend or grind. Wash, stem and crush strawberries, one layer at a time, in a saucepan. Place both fruits in a jelly bag or double layer of cheesecloth and gently squeeze out juice.

Measure 3 1/2 cups of juice into a large saucepan. Add butter and sugar, thoroughly mixing into juice. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Immediately stir in pectin. Bring to a full rolling boil and boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat, quickly skim off foam. Fill sterile jars, leaving 1/4" headspace. Wipe jar rims, adjust lids and rings. Water bath 5 minutes.

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Remember to ALWAYS call the farm or orchard BEFORE you go - weather, heavy picking and business conditions can always affect their hours and crops!

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