Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Low Sugar Strawberry Jelly

Let's make some Strawberry Jelly.  Strawberry Jelly is not something I make very often because it takes a lot of berries to obtain the juice you need for one batch.  You can take the left over pulp, run it through a food processor and dehydrate it.  Once it's dry you can grind it to powder for smoothies or milkshakes.


TO PREPARE YOUR JUICE
You will need: Approximately 5 pounds of strawberries to make 2 cups of juice.
  • WASH; crush one layer at a time using a potato masher.
  • PLACE in a saucepan. Cover and simmer 5 minutes.
  • STRAIN mixture through dampened jelly bag or several layers of cheesecloth to extract juice. Let juice drip, undisturbed, for 2 to 4 hours. Note: Squeezing the jelly bag may cause jelly to be cloudy.  
I am making Low Sugar Strawberry Jelly

To make 8 half pints of Strawberry Jelly you will need.  

8 cups of Strawberry juice
1/4 cup of lemon juice
1 thin pat of butter
8 tbsp of Ball Low Sugar/No Sugar pectin
1 3/4 cups of sugar


TO MAKE YOUR JELLY


Fill your canner with water and start it getting hot.  I like to put my jars in the canner and they will be nice and hot when my jelly is ready.  Prepare your lids according to manufacturer's instructions.

Combine Strawberry Juice and Lemon Juice in a large stainless steel pot. Gradually stir in the pectin. Add butter,  Bring mixture to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down, over high heat, stirring constantly.

Add sugar or you can use sugar substitutes or honey,  Return mixture to a full rolling boil. Boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim foam if necessary.

Fill your jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace.  Wipe rims of jars with a damp paper towel dipped in hot water or vinegar.  Clean rims ensures a good seal.


Put on lids and rings and tighten down finger tight.

Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.  Turn off heat and remove lid.  Wait 5 more minutes and then remove jars from canner and place on a towel to cool for 24 hours.

Label and Store in a cool, dark room.