Yeah! I made jelly!

16 years ago

It's not perfect (some tiny bubbles, it started gelling as soon as I pulled it off the heat, so the last jar has more bubbles than the first). But it gelled! I mixed 2C of strained (steamed, it was a little dark) quince juice with 2C of strained cranberry-apple juice that I had made yeserday (cooked the apples, poured through a colander, then cooked 12 oz bag of cranberries in the hot apple juice just til they popped, strained through jelly bag 5 hours and then this morning strained through coffee filters). Added 2tsp lemon juice and 3C of sugar, cooked til it foamed a lot and my candy thermometer went over 100C (new instant-read digital gave out at 219F - too much steam?), then pulled it off the heat and did the spoon test. It was forming a skin as I was pulling the hot jars out of the canner! Processed 5 min since the jars had been sterilized.

I don't know about the quince (I still have to remake the apple-quince jelly I tried a couple of weeks ago, it still hasn't set). But I figured there was enough pectin in cranberries to gel anything!

I still have juice left (cran-apple still straining) so will make another batch or 2 tonight. Any tips for avoiding the tiny bubbles? Did I cook it slightly too long? I'll try the digital thermometer again, it seems to have recovered, maybe if I stick it in just before I think it's ready it will read OK instead of going to all "888" on me.

Here's the link to the recipe I sort of followed - she was a little fuzzy on the weights, and it made too many jars for me, so I halved the ingredients and stored the juice in the fridge, figured it was easier to just measure the juice to make small batches at a time. This batch using 4C of juice yielded 3 halfpint jars plus a couple of ounces for tasting. Next time I'll use my deeper pan and 6C of juice (with 4.5C of sugar and 1Tbsp lemon juice). So just make your quince and apple juice any way you like, add 12 oz (1 bag) to 1 lb of cranberries to about 6C of apple juice, then mix the cran-apple juice half and half (or any ratio you like) with the quince juice, 3/4C to 1C of sugar for each cup of juice, and lemon juice if you're chicken like me and think it needs it (I used Golden and Red Delicious apples, not tart apples).

joybugaloo had posted this recipe on this forum a couple of years ago, I went back to the source (Bakerina) but her source was The Joy of Cooking. There may be a recipe out there with better measurements (and smaller batches).

Here is a link that might be useful: Paradise Jelly

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Comments (7)

digdirt2
16 years ago
Sounds good. Bubbles are from being too thick when put in jar and/or too much air when pouring. To eliminate don't cook so long and pour slowly into the jar with the lip of the pour spout as close as possible to the jar rim.

Dave
2ajsmama
Original Author
16 years ago
I made another small batch (4C of juice, same as before) as soon as I got home from picking DS up. This time it made 4 halfpints plus maybe an ounce. My digital just isn't working - it steams up too much. The cheap "redline" one steams *inside* right at the gel point so I can't quite read it, but when I thought it went over 100C I pulled the pan (did this a couple of times) and did the spoon test - ended up not quite as thick (obviously, I got a cup more) but still looked like it was hanging a bit. Tried to pour ladle onto side of funnel instead of straight dwon the middle, tried pouring right from pan, etc. everything seemed to make bubbles but once I processed it, it looks clear now. Not gelling yet, we'll see how it goes. Everything was the same as last batch except for cooking time/temp so I hope it gels, but that extra yield worries me.

I still have about 3C of quince juice (still straining) and 12oz of cranapple left so I can try a third batch, it'll just be a little heavier on the quince unless I boil more apples and cranberries (which I have). I've gotta find a cheap source of sugar though! It's $3 for 5lbs here!
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pixie_lou
16 years ago
I used to have a link to a paradise jelly recipe bookmarked. But I can't find the link. I remember that it took 3 quince fruit. And I have been looking for quince. I have a couple young bushes who haven't produced any fruit yet - some of mine haven't even flowered yet. My mom's bush and my grandmothers bush didn't produce any fruit this year.
2ajsmama
Original Author
16 years ago
pixie_lou - did your Paradise jelly used to set up really fast? It's been 5 hrs and the last batch I made trying for a soft set (I hope the first batch doesn't end up like rubber in a few weeks) hasn't started to set yet. I know some jellies take a couple of weeks, but I'm wondering if I didn't boil it (hot) enough.
orffbear
16 years ago
I made Paradise jelly last year using "juice" made from the leftover quince/apple parts from other projects + fresh cranberry juice. One batch was very hard, but it made GREAT ice cream/pancake syrup when heated so it was syrupy. Even "rubber" Paradise jelly is a good thing, IMO!
pixie_lou
16 years ago
ajsmama - I've never been able to make it since I haven't been able to find quince. I distinctly remember the recipe calling for 3 quince - and thinking that it shouldn't be hard to find 3 quince.
2ajsmama
Original Author
16 years ago
Oh, I thought maybe you made it last year - since you said your mom's and grandma's bushes didn't bear "this year". Sorry I can't help you out with quinces - not sure where you live, but I've used all the ones I got from a neighbor. Are there any orchards or old houses near you?

I should go check out a place I found when I got lost coming home from a tag sale with canning jars. There was a 93-yr old man there who lived alone, sold Depression glass and told me he had quinces. We talked for quite a while - I'm sure if I gave him some preserves/jelly he'd let me pick some of his quinces.