It's a matter of ....making Peach Jelly

When I was little, I recall going into our "fruitroom" as I was looking for my mother. I found her in the fruitroom standing and gazing at all the bottled food she had prepared. After I called to her, she said, "aren't they pretty?" (referring to all the jars of food). I thought that was rather funny at the time, but as an adult I have come to understand what she was doing.

I have been on a "Jam" kick this summer, trying and making many different kinds. However, after making Peach Jam (which is really yummy!), I chose to make Peach Jelly. I like this recipe as it uses the skins and pits of the peaches which many of us normally discard. I got this recipe from my mother, who unfortunately cannot recall where she obtained it. I thought I would share the process and the recipe with you.

Peach Jelly Recipe



• 5.5 Cups Peach Juice (Peels and pits in a pan, cover with water, cook 30 minutes, strain with cheese cloth. Put i enough water to cover by 3-4")



• 1 package of Dry Pectin (I found that you need to use new pectin that you purchase the year you make the jelly)



• 7.5 Cups of Sugar.



• Instructions: Combine the juice and pectin in a large sauce pan. Bring to a boil, stir in sugar and return to a rolling boil. Boil hard for 3 minutes stirring constantly. Remove from heat, let it sit for a few minutes. Skim the foam. Ladle into hot sterile jars leaving 1/4" head room. Process 10 minutes in a Hot Water Bath.

Here is the process in "photos":

Boil the pits and the skins until the water turns red.

Place a couple of layers of Cheesecloth in your strainer. Make sure the strainer is inside a larger bowl to catch the Peach juice once it is strained through the Cheesecloth.

This is the juice after it has been strained. The juice is now ready to be put into the recipe noted above. (One thing that I learned is that you need to use new Pectin. I made 2 batches. The first batch was made with Pectin I have left over from last year and the other with Pectin I just purchased recently. The first batch partially set up, but the second batch had no issues.)

Pour the jelly mixture into jars, wipe the jar rim, place a sterilized lid on and seal with a jar ring. Notice how clear the jelly is. You can see the peach jam I processed in the background. The jam is the color of peaches, but the jelly has the red hue to it that was achieved while boiling. Process the jars in your hot water bath canner.

Again, notice how translucent it is after it is processed. Jelly is wonderful on breads, rolls, and even on pork chops when you cook them in the oven. This is glorious food that is made from items that are traditionally discarded. It's easy to make, and tastes great! It is a great companion to some freshly baked bread as a gift for someone who is needs some special attention. I found myself standing and admiring my jam and jelly in the jars. I particularly enjoyed how beautiful the jelly looked visually. I found the bottles to be "beautiful" just as my mother did years ago.

This is an easy recipe...give it a try!