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Tart Lemon Jelly

Source of Recipe

From "The All New Ball Book of Canning and Preserving"


Recipe Introduction

"Like the lemon candies we loved as kids, this jelly is tart and sweet and fun to eat."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 6 large lemons (1 ½ pounds)
â—¦ 1 ½ cups water
â—¦ Cheesecloth
â—¦ 3 tablespoons Ball® Classic Pectin
â—¦ 4 cups sugar


Recipe

Scrub lemons thoroughly; rinse well, and pat dry. Carefully strip rind from lemons with a vegetable peeler to measure 1 cup, avoiding bitter white pith. Using a sharp, thin-bladed knife, cut a ¼-inch-thick slice from each end of lemons. Place flat-end down on a cutting board, and remove and discard peel (bitter white pith) in strips, cutting from top to bottom, and following the curvature of the fruit. Coarsely chop lemons, reserving all juice, to measure 4 cups.

Combine lemon peel, chopped lemon with reserved juice, and water in a 4-quart stainless steel or enameled Dutch oven. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover, and simmer 15 minutes.

Line a large wire-mesh strainer with three layers of dampened cheesecloth. Place over a large bowl. Pour lemon mixture into strainer, and let drain at least 3 hours or overnight to measure 2 cups juice. Discard solids.

Combine lemon juice and pectin in a 4-quart stainless steel or enameled Dutch oven. Bring mixture to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down, over high heat, stirring constantly. Add sugar, stirring to dissolve. Return mixture to a full rolling boil. Boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim foam, if necessary.

Ladle hot jelly into a hot jar, leaving ¼ inch headspace. Wipe jar rim. Center lid on jar. Apply band, and adjust to fingertip-tight. Place jar in boiling water canner. Repeat until all jars are filled. Process jars 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Turn off heat; remove lid, and let jars stand 5 minutes. Remove jars and cool.

Makes about 4 half-pint jars



• Simple Switch:
Make lime jelly! Follow the recipe exactly using lime juice and lime rind instead of lemon.