Wild Cherry Jelly

Published 9:04 am Wednesday, June 18, 2014

3 1/2 cups prepared wild cherry juice

1 package Sure Jell

4 cups sugar

1/2 teaspoon butter (optional)

To prepare juice, wash and place cherries in a saucepan. Add 1/2 to 1 cup water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover.

Simmer 10 minutes. Strain through cloth inside a strainer. After cooling, gently squeeze cloth with berries in it until more juice is extracted.

To make jelly, measure exact amount of sugar and set aside. Heat juice and slowly stir in Sure Jell. Add butter to reduce foaming. Bring to a full rolling boil on high heat, stirring constantly.

Stir in sugar quickly and return to a full rolling boil. Boil exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam.

Ladle quickly into prepared jars. Fill to within 1/8 inch of tops. Wipe rims. Cover quickly and screw bands tightly. Allow to cool completely.

Note: You can prepare in a water bath. However, if you are storing in a controlled climate, there is no need to do the water bath. Just be sure the top is sealed by punching on the top of the lid to make sure it doesn’t move. If it hasn’t sealed, then store in the refrigerator.

Norma Lester, New Iberia