Watermelon Jelly
Found this recipe in one of my favorite preserving cookbooks. When I was making it, I was reminded of my favorite candy when I was little: Watermelon Jolly Ranchers. 🙂
Ingredients
- 4-5 lb watermelon pureed & strained to make 1 qt of juice
- 1 C sugar
- 2 T Pomona's Universal Pectin
- 1/2 C bottled lemon or lime juice*
- 2 T calcium water comes with Pomona's Pectin
Instructions
- Cut, puree & strain watermelon to produce 1 qt of juice.
- Set the juice in a large saucepan over high heat to bring to a full boil.
- While juice is warming, add lemon juice and calcium water; stir to combine.
- Also while juice is coming is coming to a full boil, combine the sugar and the pectin in a small bowl.
- Once the juice is at a full boil, slowly pour in the sugar-pectin mix, stirring vigorously to dissolve.
- Once everything is dissolved, and it is back to a boil, remove the pan from the heat and let it set just a bit, stirring with a spoon periodically to get the bubbles out. Skim off the foam, if you don't want it in your finished product.
- Ladle into jars, leaving 1/4" headspace, then process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes. Then let it rest an additional 5 minutes before removing the lid.
- Set the jars, without tilting them, on a kitchen towel on the counter.
- Let rest 12-24 hours before testing the seal.
Notes
*I used half lemon, half lime, in my first attempt. I tasted it a few times as I was filling the jars and am concerned that the flavor of the bottled lime juice is coming through...
*bottled juice is preferred by Pomona's because the acidity level can be counted on. Adapted from Put 'em Up
*bottled juice is preferred by Pomona's because the acidity level can be counted on. Adapted from Put 'em Up