WHEN I FIRST STARTED CANNING, I DIDN’T really get jelly. I didn’t understand why anyone would mess around with something that was so seemingly fussy when there was a whole world of jams and fruit butters. But then someone presented me with a jar of homemade quince jelly and I got it. It wasn’t fussy, it was refined. Making jelly is all about the extraction and concentration of flavors and it is worth the energy it takes to create a jar of wiggly, translucent fruit flavor.
That said, I’ll be the first to tell you that I’m something of a cheater. Three of the jellies in this section start with pre-pressed or -squeezed juice. This is a choice that will make some purists grimace. I have found that as long as you start with high-quality juice, you can make a very good jelly and save yourself a whole lot of work.
As you head into jelly making, know that your first batch might not turn out perfectly. Jelly is a fickle preserve that can be affected by altitude, humidity, and the ratios of sugar to water in the juice you’re working with. Keep trying and don’t get discouraged.
To give your jelly the best chance for success, there are a few things you can do. Make sure to stash several small plates or saucers in the freezer at least an hour before you start cooking so that you can test your jelly as it cooks. Keep your thermometer close at hand. And make sure to keep a clear space next to the stove in case you need to move the pot off the burner quickly if it threatens to boil over.
You will note that there are a few recipes in this section that call for powdered pectin in place of liquid pectin. Powdered pectin sets up more firmly than liquid, which is a boon when you’re trying to transform fruit juice into jelly. Make sure to whisk it fully into the sugar before beginning cooking, so that the pectin will be evenly distributed in the juice and won’t clump up during cooking.