Pomegranate Jelly

How to seed a pomegranate: This is the best trick that I’ve found. Seeding your pomegranate this way will minimize the loss of juice and will save your hands and counter tops from juice stains. Fill a medium sized bowl with cold water. Cut your pomegranate in half and while holding the fruit under the water, use your fingers to pry the seeds apart from the membranes and allow the seeds to fall back into the bowl.

The pomegranate seeds will sink to the bottom of the bowl, and any of the pith will float to the top. You can then skim off any of the floating bits and pour the water and fruit through a strainer to drain.

Once your pomegranate is seeded, process the seeds through a food processor or blender. Pulse several times so that the seeds are completely broken up. Place a mesh strainer over a bowl and pour the seed mixture into the strainer. Use a rubber spatula to push down on the seeds and extract as much juice as possible. You will need to do this in stages, a little at a time.

Measure out 4 cups of fresh pomegranate juice. I left my juice in the fridge overnight and let the teeny tiny bits settle to the bottom. This step is completely optional, but I wanted my jelly to be as clear as possible. Once ready to make the jelly, I strained the juice further by running it through a cheese cloth. This last step caught any of the little bits that didn’t get caught in the mesh strainer the first time around.

For the pomegranate jelly:

In a large canning pot, sterilize eight 8-ounce size canning jars in boiling water for 10 minutes. Sterilize the lids in a separate smaller pot. Remove jars from the boiling water and set aside.

In a medium-sized pot, combine the pomegranate juice, lemon juice, and pectin. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Once you reach a full rolling boil, add the sugar and stir to combine. Bring the mixture back up to a boil and continue to boil, without stirring, for 2 full minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to sit for a minute or two before skimming off any foam.

Carefully pour liquid jelly into the warm, sterilized canning jars. This amount of liquid should fill six to eight 8-ounce jars. Fill to within 1/2″ from the top of the jar. Wipe any jelly off the rim of the jars and attach lids and outer rings.

To finish the canning procedure, place the completed jelly jars in a pot of boiling water. Use a canning rack if you have one. The water should cover the top of the jars by at least one inch. Boil for 7 to 10 minutes and then carefully remove the jars from the water. Let the jars cool on a wire rack. Check the seals to make sure that the jars are sealed tight. The lids should be sucked down and you’ll hear a popping noise as the jelly cools. If any of the jars do not seal properly, store those jars in the refrigerator and use those first. Let jelly sit at room temperature overnight or put in the refrigerator for several hours to allow jelly to set.

Adapted from Simply Recipes.