I am in canning mode. I want to spend my morning canning produce and making jelly. The idea of pickles never seemed so much fun!
All my jellies began with the first abundant round of blackberries. I was requested to make a very large jar of pure blackberry jelly for my Tall Dark and Handsome. He loves to watch the garden grow but the only thing that he really wants to eat from it are sliced tomato and blackberry jelly. All the work of making jelly is worth it to see him smile at that pint of blackberry with his name on it.
While I was picking the blackberries I found a large patch of raspberries growing with the blackberries. I collected just about a cup of teens,y soft, perfectly formed raspberries. Not enough for pure raspberry jelly but enough lend raspberry flavor.
I had an idea, raspberry wine jelly. I was out early and purchased a box of wine at 8:30 in the morning
This resulting jelly has a beautiful color and a wine-berry flavor that is not overly wine tasting. I use this jelly as a filling for oatmeal shortbread cookies and angel food cake.
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3 ½ c Chablis or other white wine
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2Tb lemon juice
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1Tb blackberry or raspberry juice
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1 package powdered pectin
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4 ½ c sugar
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Handful of raspberries (optionally soaked in juice, Chambord, or syrup)
Combine wine and juices in large pot. Stir in pectin. While stirring, bring to a boil. Stir in sugar and return to a boil. Boil hard for 1 minute and stir constantly. Remove from heat and skim foam.
Place a few raspberries in the bottom of each jar and fill the hot jars with hot jelly. Leave ¼” headspace and process in boiling water for 10 minutes.
Yields 6-7 half pints