Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Corncob Jelly

I made a few jars of corncob jelly.  It tastes a lot like honey. I got the original recipe from the National Center for home food preservation.  I did it a little different from their recipe.  I added 2 tbsp. of lemon juice and a pat of butter to reduce the foaming.  I also processed for 10 minutes instead of 5.  Some recipes I've seen call for putting in food coloring.  I don't think you need it. 

To make corncob juice:

1 dozen medium-sized fresh corncobs
2 quarts water

To Prepare Juice - Wash the corncobs and cut into 4-inch lengths. Place in a large stockpot, add 2 quarts water or enough to cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and boil slowly for 35 to 40 minutes. Strain the juice through a double layer of cheesecloth or a jelly bag. Allow juice to drip through the cloth, using a stand or colander; do not press or squeeze the bag or cloth.

To make jelly:  You will need
3 cups corncob juice
1 (1¾ ounce) package powdered pectin
 or 6 tbsp. of Ball Classic pectin.
3 cups sugar
2 tbsp. of lemon juice
A pat of butter to reduce foaming

Yield: About 5 or 6 half-pint jars

To Make Jelly -  Measure 3 cups of corncob juice into a large sauce pot. Stir in the pectin, butter and lemon juice and bring to a full boil that can't be stirred down.  Add the sugar all at once, and bring the mixture back to a full roiling boil while stirring. Boil for exactly 1 minute. Remove from heat; skim off foam quickly. Pour hot jelly immediately into hot, sterile jars, leaving ¼-inch headspace. Wipe rims of jars with a paper towel dipped in vinegar.  Put on lids and rings and tighten down finger tight.  Process in a Boiling Water Canner.

The table below is what the National Center for Home Food Preservation says to process for.  I did mine for 10 minutes.

Table 1. Recommended process time for Corncob Jelly in a boiling water canner.
Process Time at Altitudes of
Style of Pack Jar Size 0 - 1,000 ft 1,001 - 6,000 ft Above 6,000 ft
Hot Half-pints
or Pints
5 min 10 15

No comments:

Post a Comment