We were very fortunate that Brooklyn's grandparents loved growing their own food as much as we do. When we moved into the homestead they had created in the 1960s, there were many established fruit trees on the property. One of those trees is a large mulberry tree in the backyard that we have thoroughly enjoyed over the years.
Our mulberry tree provides the first fruits of the year. It blooms and starts producing delicious berries in early spring. We enjoy eating them as an afternoon snack, but they also make an excellent jelly for preserving the harvest. This mulberry jelly recipe could also be used with blackberries or any berry of your choice.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 Packet Sure Jell Pectin
- 3 Cups Mulberry Juice (obtained from 1 large bowl of whole mulberries)
- 4 1/2 Cups Sugar
- 1/4 Cup Lemon Juice
DIRECTIONS:
1) Rinse and drain the whole mulberries in a colander.
2) Add the mulberries to large pot with 1/4 cup of water on medium high heat.
3) Use a potato masher to smash the mulberries in the pot as they soften. Do this for 5 minutes or until all the berries are tender and smashed. They don't have to be emulsified, you just want the juices to be released from the berries.
4) Drape a piece of cheesecloth over a colander sitting in a larger bowl. Pour the smashed mulberries into the colander with the draped cheesecloth.
5) Allow the juice to drain through the cheesecloth into the larger bowl. Use a spoon to gently push the remaining juice from the fruit through the cheesecloth.
6) Measure 3 cups of the extracted mulberry juice. If you're a little short on juice, you can add up to 1/2 cup of water to make 3 cups total.
7) Add the mulberry juice, lemon juice, and packet of pectin to a pot and bring to a rolling boil while stirring.
8) Once the boil cannot be stirred down, add the sugar and bring to a rolling boil for exactly one minute.
9) After boiling for a minute, remove the pot from the stovetop.
10) Immediately start pouring the liquid into canning jars. Secure jars with lids and bands and place in a hot water bath for 5 minutes.
12) After 5 minutes, remove the jars from the water bath and place on the counter to cool overnight.
13) Enjoy your delicious mulberry jelly!