PREP: 45 minutes PROCESS: 5 minutes MAKES: 8 half-pints
3½ cups fresh raspberries
¼ cup water
4 cups chopped fresh watermelon
¼ cup lemon juice
7½ cups sugar (tip, page 231)
1 6-oz. pkg. (2 foil pouches) liquid fruit pectin (tip, page 230)
1. In a 6- to 8-qt. heavy pot* combine raspberries and the water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, 5 minutes. Cool slightly. Transfer mixture to a blender or food processor. Cover and blend or process until pureed. Pour pureed berries into a fine-mesh sieve set over a large bowl; stir and press on fruit with a large spoon to remove juice. Discard seeds and pulp. You should have about 1⅓ cups juice.**
2. In a blender or food processor combine watermelon and lemon juice. Cover and blend or process until smooth. Pour mixture into a fine-mesh sieve set over a large bowl; stir and press on fruit with a large spoon to remove juice. Discard pulp. You should have about 2⅓ cups juice.** Combine the watermelon juice and raspberry juice; measure and add enough water to equal 4 cups.
3. In the same pot stir together juice mixture and sugar. Bring to boiling, stirring to dissolve sugar. Quickly stir in pectin. Bring to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly (tip, page 238). Boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Quickly skim off foam with a metal spoon.
4. Ladle hot jelly into eight hot sterilized half-pint canning jars, leaving a ¼-inch headspace. Wipe jar rims; adjust lids and screw bands.
5. Process filled jars in a boiling-water canner 5 minutes (start timing when water returns to boiling). Remove jars from canner; cool on wire racks. (Canning tips, pages 461–466.)
*Test Kitchen Tip: Using a heavy pot, such as one made of stainless-steel, enameled cast iron, hard-anodized aluminum, or tri-ply, prevents the mixture from scorching.
**Recipe Note: The amount of juice you get from your watermelon and raspberries may vary. The key is to use only 4 cups of liquid. If you have excess juice, discard the extra or save for another use. If you don’t have enough juice, add water to make 4 cups.
Serving Idea: Spoon this bright red jelly over desserts such as panna cotta, pound cake, or angel food cake.
PER 1 TBSP. JELLY: 49 cal., 0 g fat, 0 mg chol., 0 mg sodium, 13 g carb., 0 g fiber, 0 g pro.