Candy Apple Jelly

Becca shared one of her super easy recipes with me last night. She loves making it for the holidays because it sets every time and it's the perfect color too! 

From Becca: Just a little batch, but I made Candy Apple Jelly yesterday. It's almost like cheating because it's made from apple cider and red hot candies, but it's really pretty, sets up every single time and people always ask for it from me. So a dozen jars waiting to fill Christmas goodie bags. And one jar in the fridge for me that wouldn't fit into my canner.

Thanks Becca for sharing your adaptation with the apple cider and sharing your beautiful pic of the jars!

Candy Apple Jelly 

4 cups apple juice or cider
1⁄2 cup red-hot candies
1 (1 3/4 ounce) package fruit pectin (powdered)
4 1⁄2 cups sugar

Preparation: Prepare 6 half pints lids, and rings. Sterilize the jars and keep them in the hot water till it’s time for processing. Make sure to fill your water bath canner and get the water to a simmer.

Cooking: In a large stainless steel or enameled dutch combine juice/cider, candy and pectin.  Bring to a full boil over high heat, stirring constantly.

Add sugar and return to a full boil. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off foam and unmelted candy.

Filling the jars:  On a dishtowel place your hot jars and using your funnel in each jar fill leaving  1/4”  headspace.  Taking a clean papertowel wet it with warm water and wipe the rims of the jars removing any food particles that would interfere with a good seal. Using your magic wand extract the lids from the hot water and place them on the now cleaned rims. Add your rings to the tops of each of the jars and turn to seal just "finger tight".

Processing: Make sure your rack is on the bottom of the canner and place the jars in the water bath making sure that the water covers each of the jars by 1 to 2 inches. Add hot water to the canner if it doesn't measure up. Cover the pot and turn up the heat under the canner and wait for the water to start boiling. Once the water has come to a boil start your timer for 5 minutes. When complete turn off the heat and remove the cover and let the jars sit for another few minutes. Remove the jars and place them back on the dishtowel in a place that they will sit overnight to cool. Do not touch or move them till the next morning.

Sealing: Sometime in the next hour your jars will be making a "pinging" or "popping" noise. That is the glass cooling and the reaction of the lids being sucked into the jar for proper sealing. Some recipes may take overnight to seal. Check your lids and reprocess any jars that did not seal.