Apple Rosemary Jelly

This recipe is all about generalizations. I say 4 pounds of apples and 4 cups of sugar because that’s about what I had the last time I made it. You will probably have different amounts.

All you really need to understand is: Use all the peels and seeds you can, because that is where the natural pectin is. I make this recipe in conjunction with making pies and applesauce. I have really ugly apples (go read the post at the related blog post link) and need a use for the ones we don’t eat. So the icky apples that I reject for pies and sauce plus the peels and cores from the apples for the pies all go into the jelly pot. I still marvel that I get something this good out of garbage!

Cook apples, peels, cores, lemon juice, fresh water and rosemary all together over lowest heat until everything is really soft (about 60 to 90 minutes), then strain through several layers of cheesecloth or use a jelly bag (which I have never laid eyes on, but know they exist. I use cheesecloth) for several hours or overnight. Do NOT press the solids at all, as this will make your juice cloudy. Just let it drain.

Measure the amount of juice you get after several hours of straining and add an EQUAL AMOUNT of sugar. That’s a 1:1 ratio of juice to sugar.

Bring the juice and sugar to a full, rolling, frothy boil in a large heavy pot and cook until a candy thermometer reads 220 degrees F. (Be sure to check the accuracy of your thermometer every few years by putting in boiling water. It should read 212 degrees F. Mine is off by 2 degrees and I know that and adjust. Two degrees can make a difference when making jelly!)

Skim off the foam. This matters more for jelly than jam, as the foam will be visibly suspended in the clear jelly. You don’t really see it in jams. It is harder than I thought to skim it (any suggestions?) and you can see a bit of it in my photo.

Ladle into clean, hot, sterilized jars, leaving 1/4″ of headspace at the top. (I always have a few more jars than I think I will need. Any jars that are partially filled go into the refrigerator for immediate eating!)

Wipe rims and seal. Heat process in a water bath or steamer for 10 minutes. Refrigerate any jars that don’t seal.

Simply to die for.