Things To Do
@Foods & Nutrition
1. Review what you've learned by completing the following sentences.
a. Make sure three-fourths of the fruit is
and one-fourth is
b. Boiling the jelly jars helps prevent - - - -- - - -- - - - - - - from forming on the jelly.
N
~Closer Look
ALABAMA COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SYSTEM, ALABAMAA&M AND AUBURN UNIVERSITIES
c. The
is when drops run together and break from the spoon in a sheet.
d. Store jelly in a
e. Process the jars of jelly in a
for 5 minutes.
2. Keep a record of the jelly you make. Use this chart.
Date Fruit Used
10 Steps To Good Jelly
place.
Number
of Pints
Made Who Helped
3. Judge your jelly. Use this check sheet. Write yes
or no in each square.
Time
Spent
First Second Third
Batch Batch Batch
Three-fourths of the fruit
was ripe.
Color was good .
I cleaned up my mess.
I shared my jelly with
someone.
I showed someone else
how to make jelly.
How would you like to hold up
a sparkling glass of tempting jelly
and tell your friends you made it?
You can. It's rather easy to make
delicious jelly. In fact, if you carefully follow the steps below, you will
come up with excellent jelly on
your very first try.
This leaflet explains the boiling
down jelly making method.
Another popular method is the
commercial pectin method. If you
would like to try the commercial
pectin method, follow the directions on the pectin box. Then use
this leaflet to record your jelly making activities.
NOTE: For further information, read Alabama Cooperative Extension Service Circular HE-395, "How To Make
Jelly/Other Jellied Fruit Products," and the chapter on jelly making in HE-1, "Food Preservation in Alabama."
Fruits
....- .
,
AJ.ABAMA .............
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Extension
SYSTEM
LEAFLET YHE-29
Answers: a ripe, underripe; b. mold; c. jelly stage; d. cool, dry, dark; e waterbath canner
Revised by Evelyn Crayton, Extension Foods And Nutrition Specialist,
Associate Professor, Nutrition and Food Science, Auburn University.
Originally prepared by Isabelle Downey, former Specialist in Food
Preservation.
For more information, call your county Extension office. Look in your telephone
directory under your county's name to find the number.
Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work in agriculture and home economics, Acts of May
8 and June 30, 1914, and other related acts, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
TI1e Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M University and Aubum University) offers
educational programs, materials, and equal opportunity employment to all people without regard to
race, color, national origin, reUgion, sex, age, veteran status, or djsabiJity.
UPS, 5M08, Rep. 8:97, YHE-29
Exploring Your Project Series
The best fruits to use are apples, crabapples, blackberries,
grapes, and plums. One pound of
each of these fruits will make approximately one pint of jelly. Never
make more than 4 pints of jelly at
a time. If you have had little or no
experience, make only 1 pint at a
time.
Step 1. Regardless of what you
use, make sure that about threefourths of the fruit is ripe and the
other one-fourth not quite ripe.
Only in this way can you have the
right amount of acid and pectin
(furnished by under-ripe fruit) and
good flavor and color (furnished by
ripe fruit) to make attractive and
tasty jelly. Wash your fruit and
drain it.
Supplies
Fruit
Large saucepans
Jelly bag
Jelly jars (pints)
Screw bands & lids
Jar lifter
Waterbath canner
2 measuring cups
Sugar
Long-handled spoon
Teaspoon
Cup with handle
Tongs
Clean, damp cloth
Tray
LEAFLET YHE-29
Step 2. Wash jelly jars and put
them in a waterbath canner or pan.
Cover them with water, boil for 15
to 20 minutes, and keep hot until
used. This helps prevent mold
growth on jelly. Prepare the lids by
the directions on the box.
Step 3. Cut large fruit into slices;
barely crush small fruit. Place fruit
in a shallow, wide saucepan.
Next, very carefully weigh your
saucepan. Then carefully weigh
your fruit in the pan. Subtract the
pan's weight to get the weight of the
fruit. Measure the exact amount of
water needed.
• For 1 pound of blackberries
or cultivated grapes, use 1/4 cup of
water or less.
• For 1pound of plums, use 1/2
cup of water.
• For 1 pound of apples or
crabapples, use 3/4 to 1 cup of
water.
~
.-.::===:=::::-
Step 4. Add the water to the
fruit. Cook over medium heat. To
prevent scorching, stir fruit occasionally. Count cooking time just
after fruit begins to boil. Cook
grapes, berries, and plums 5 to 10
minutes, apples 20 to 25 minutes.
Step 6. Add sugar to the dripped
fruit juice in this amount:
• To each cup of apple, blackberry, cultivated grape, or plum
juice, add 3/4 cup of sugar.
• To each cup of crabapple or
wild grape juice, add 1 cup of
sugar.
Pour sugar and juice into a
large saucepan and stir. Remember, never use more than 4 cups
of juice at a time. If you are a beginner, use only 1 cup of juice.
Bring the mixture quickly to a boil
and then immediately begin making the jelly test. Boil rapidly until
jelly stage is reached, usually 3 to
5 minutes after the juice begins to
boil.
Step 5. Pour the hot, cooked
fruit into a jelly bag made of two
thicknesses of flour sacks or thin
material. Let the juice drip into a
pan or bowl. Do not squeeze the
bag.
Doua.E
TKlO<N~
oFCLOTtl
To test for the jelly stage, dip a
large spoon into the boiling syrup;
lift the spoon so that the syrup runs
over its side. You will notice these
three stages in your testing.
First Stage: The syrup runs off in
a steady stream. Then it separates
into two distinct lines.
Second Stage: The drops become
heavier and run off more slowly.
Third Stage: The drops run together and break from the spoon
in a sheet, leaving the spoon clean.
This is the jelly stage. Just as soon
as the jelly stage is reached, remove
the pan from the heat. Skim film
off the jelly quickly. Have a clean,
damp cloth handy.
Step 7. Remove jelly jars from
the hot water, drain, and place on
a tray.
Step 8. Hold the saucepan close
to the center of the jelly jar. Pour
the jelly carefully into the hot jelly
jar so it does not splash or drip on
the rim. A jar filler helps prevent
spills. Or, you may use a cup with
a handle to dip the jelly and pour
it into the jar. Pour to within l/2 inch
of the top. Prick or remove any
bubbles with a long-handled
spoon.
Step 9. Wipe the jar rim carefully
with a clean, damp cloth. Put on
the lid and screw band. Tighten.
Step 10. Put jars of jelly in the
waterbath canner, cover with water
1 to 2 inches above the jar tops,
and bring to a boil for 5 minutes.
Remove from water and drain on
tray. When the jelly is cool, label
each jar with the name of the fruit
and the date the jelly was made.
Store jelly in a cool (under 70°F.,
if possible), dry, dark place.