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chokecherry jelly in a jar
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4.91 from 64 votes

Backwoods Chokecherry Jelly

Delicious Chokecherry Jelly, with just the right balance of sweet and tart flavor.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Breakfast, Condiments, Snack
Cuisine: American
Servings: 96 servings
Calories: 50kcal

Equipment

  • 6 8-ounce mason jars
  • 1 8-quart pot
  • 1 canner with tools
  • 1 strainer

Ingredients

  • 6 cups chokecherries
  • 6 cups water
  • tablespoon RealFruit Classic Pectin
  • 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon butter (optional)
  • 4 cups sugar

Instructions

  • Prepare a water bath canner, by completely covering six 8-ounce jars with water and boiling them for 10 minutes. Keep the jars in the hot water until needed. The lids can be added a few minutes before you need them.
  • Add cleaned chokecherries to a six-quart Dutch oven. Cover with six cups of water. Bring to a boil and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Smash the fruit to release the juice and strain the liquid through a fine sieve. You should have approximately 3½ cups of juice. If not, add enough water to equal 3½ cups.
  • Clean the Dutch oven and return to the stove. Pour strained chokecherry juice back into the pot. Turn the heat to medium. Whisk in RealFruit Classic Pectin until dissolved. Add lemon juice, and butter, if using. Bring the mixture to a full rolling boil, over high heat, whisking constantly.
  • Next, add sugar, while you whisk quickly to dissolve it. Return mixture to a full rolling boil and boil hard for one additional minute, as you continue to whisk the mixture. Remove from heat and skim off the foam, if necessary. Ladle into sterilized jars, leaving ½" headspace. Wipe the glass jar rims with a damp cloth and hand-tighten the lids.
  • Add jars to the canner filled with water and make sure the water level is at least a few inches over the jars. Process the filled jars in boiling water, for a minimum of 10 minutes, adding 5 additional minutes for every 1000'-3000' above sea level.

Notes

  • It is generally recommended to let the juice drip into a bowl, undisturbed, for a few hours instead of squeezing or pressing on the fruit. This may cause the jelly to be cloudy. This is totally up to you and how much patience you have!
  • Unripe chokecherries are red and are higher in pectin. This means they may help your jam jell better. Having a small percentage of unripe chokecherries as part of your recipe may not be a horrible idea.
  • Chokecherries can be frozen until you are ready to use them. After washing the chokecherries and removing the earwigs, spiders, and other debris, measure and portion them into freezer bags. Freeze until needed.

Nutrition

Serving: 96Tablespoons | Calories: 50kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 0g | Fat: 0g | Saturated Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 1mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g