Corn Cob Jelly

This old fashioned recipe recalls a time when people couldn't afford to be as wasteful as we often are today.

When I mention corn cob jelly people often wrinkle their nose as if I must be talking about something poisonous. Some of the finickiness that our society has developed is unfortunate because, quite frankly, corn cob jelly tastes good.

I always make it with the red cobs that come from dent corn (the type of corn that is fed to cattle and squirrels). As an Iowa girl, I have fields full of dent corn all around me. If you are not lucky enough to have a corn field outside your back door, you can get some corn that is sold for squirrels and shell it.

I have seen recipes that call for the cobs from sweet corn, but I have never tried it. I imagine that it would still have the hint of corn taste in it, but I am not sure what color it would be, since sweet corn has white cobs. Perhaps I should try it some time and see what it is like.


This is based on a recipe from The Illustrated Encyclopedia of American Cooking.

Corn Cob Jelly
(Yield is about 4 half-Pint Jars)
(Printable Recipe)

12 red corn cobs
6 cups water
3 cups sugar
1 package powdered pectin

Break cobs in half. Add water and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain in a damp Jelly Jelly Strainer. If necessary, add enough water to make 3 cups of liquid. Add sugar and bring to a rolling boil. Add pectin and return to a rolling boil. Boil hard for 1 minute. Fill hot canning jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Add lids and process in a water bath for 10 minutes.

High altitude instructions
1,001 - 3,000 feet : increase processing time by 5 minutes
3,001 - 6,000 feet : increase processing time by 10 minutes
6,001 - 8,000 feet : increase processing time by 15 minutes
8,001 - 10,000 feet : increase processing time by 20 minutes


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Canning Rose Hip Jelly

Rose hips are extremely high in vitamin C. In fact, since the British were cut off from their supply of citrus fruits during World War II, they used rose hip syrup to ensure their intake of vitamin C.

To make either rose hip syrup or jelly, you start out by making rose hip tea. I find that as little as 1 cup of rose hips makes a decent batch of jelly, but 2 cups will work better. I left the quantity vague to accommodate those who may not have a lot of rose bushes. Personally, I think that wild rose hips make a wonderful jelly.


Rose Hip Jelly
(yield is about 6 half-pint jars)
(Printable Recipe)

1 to 2 cups rose hips
4 1/2 cups water
1 package powdered pectin
5 1/2 cups sugar

Remove the blossom end from rose hips, wash them, and cut them in half. Bring the Water to a boil. Add rose hips and return to a boil. Cover, remove from heat, and let stand 20 minutes. Strain through a dampened jelly strainer . Measure 4 cups of liquid. You may add a little more water if too much evaporated away while the tea was steeping. Add pectin and bring to a full rolling boil. Add sugar and return to a rolling boil. Boil hard for 1 minute. Fill hot canning jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Add lids and process in a water bath for 10 minutes.

High altitude instructions
1,001 - 3,000 feet : increase processing time by 5 minutes
3,001 - 6,000 feet : increase processing time by 10 minutes
6,001 - 8,000 feet : increase processing time by 15 minutes
8,001 - 10,000 feet : increase processing time by 20 minutes

Read more...

Apple Jelly

I generally prefer apple butter over jelly. I like the pulp of the fruit. I suppose I also feel like I am being wasteful if I am just using the juice.

However, some years, I will make jelly just for variety. When I do that I usually have fun adding spices like cloves, cinnamon, or sage to it. You can add a cinnamon stick to the pan or put a few whole spices or herbs in a spice bag or tea ball and let these flavor your jelly as it cooks.


In fact, if your goal is to have fun playing around with spices, rather than to preserve your apple harvest, then you can actually use store bought apple juice.

I walked through the juice aisle of the store a while ago and noticed all sorts of interesting flavor combinations like "strawberry apple" and "kiwi apple." I couldn't help but think that these sounded interesting to make jelly with. Maybe this winter when the gardening is over with, I will try making jelly with one of these juices just for the fun of it.


Preparing Juice for Apple Jelly

Slice or coarsely chop apples. Add 2 cup water for each quart of sliced apples. Cook just until soft (about 30 minutes). Strain through a dampened jelly strainer for at least 3 hours.

Apple Jelly
(Printable Recipe)
For each cup of juice, add 3/4 cup sugar and cook to 220°F. Fill hot jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Add lids and process for 10 minutes in a water bath.

High altitude instructions
1,001 - 3,000 feet : increase processing time by 5 minutes
3,001 - 6,000 feet : increase processing time by 10 minutes
6,001 - 8,000 feet : increase processing time by 15 minutes
8,001 - 10,000 feet : increase processing time by 20 minutes


Read more...

Jalapeno Jelly

I think a very fun use of jalapenos is jalapeno jelly. I like it on crackers and cheese, and I like to spread cream cheese on a toasted bagel and then spread jalapeno jelly on top of that. This recipe is based on a recipe from 175 Best Jams, Jellies, Marmalades and Other Soft Spreads


Jalapeno Jelly
(printable recipe)
(makes about 6 half-pint jars)

10 jalapenos
2 cups vinegar
6 cups sugar
2 pouches liquid pectin

Remove ribs and seeds from jalapenos and puree peppers in a blender or food processor. Combine with vinegar and sugar and bring to a full rolling boil. Add liquid pectin, return to a boil, and boil hard for one minute. Fill hot canning jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Add lids and process in a water bath for 10 minutes.

High altitude instructions
1,001 - 3,000 feet : increase processing time by 5 minutes
3,001 - 6,000 feet : increase processing time by 10 minutes
6,001 - 8,000 feet : increase processing time by 15 minutes
8,001 - 10,000 feet : increase processing time by 20 minutes


Read more...

Canning Chokecherry Jelly

This is where my hobby of making jams and jellies all began. I am not sure how old I was, but I know that I had never canned anything all by myself before.

As I said before, my philosophy seemed to be that if nature planted it and it wasn't poisonous, then I had to try it. I knew that chokecherries are not poisonous (even if they are too bitter to be eaten plain), but I didn't know of anybody who actually cooked with them. I figured that if they are not poisonous, then there must be a recipe somewhere that uses them. If the internet had been around at that time, then my search for a recipe would have been a lot easier.

Finally somebody heard through the grapevine that I was looking for a recipe that uses chokecherries and they gave me a recipe for chokecherry jelly. I showed the recipe to my mother and told her that I wanted to make it.


I have since changed my method of making choke cherry jelly. I like my new method because it doesn't call for a specific amount of chokecherries. I can just use whatever quantity I happen to get. The flavor may be stronger or weaker depending on how many I get.

Most recipes call for a lot of water. I have decided to use less water. This results in a very concentrated (and very bitter) juice. I then dilute this juice with apple juice.

Chokecherry Jelly
Printable Recipe
(Yield is about 7 half-pint jars)

Chokecherries (any where from about 1 to 3 quarts)
water
apple juice
6 cups sugar
2 packages liquid pectin


Wash chokecherries and add 1/2 cup water for each quart of chokecherries. Simmer for 20 minutes. Pour this into a dampened jelly strainer and allow it to drip for 3 hours. Add enough apple juice to make a total of 4 cups of juice.

Mix juice and sugar and bring to a rolling boil. Add liquid pectin, return to a boil, and boil hard for one minute. Fill hot canning jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Add lids and process in a water bath for 10 minutes.

High altitude instructions
1,001 - 3,000 feet : increase processing time by 5 minutes
3,001 - 6,000 feet : increase processing time by 10 minutes
6,001 - 8,000 feet : increase processing time by 15 minutes
8,001 - 10,000 feet : increase processing time by 20 minutes
Read more...