The best product for canning I have found is something so simple: Pomona’s Pectin. Years ago when I found it I first thought of it as a bit fussy, only because it added another step. Later on I wised up and realized that tiny step opened up a world of canning I couldn’t do otherwise. And what was that? Being able to make jams and jellies with a lot less sugar than conventional pectin. Consider that if one made this recipe using “mainstream” pectin it would call for at least 7 cups sugar. The recipe here calls for ONE CUP. You can go as low as ¾ cup if you desire. I suggest tasting your juice to see how sweet it is, and adjust off of that. If 1 cup isn’t sweet enough, you can go up to 2 cups sugar. Which is still considerably less than regular pectin. The other benefit is that Pomona’s doesn’t contain preservatives.
Side note: Pomona’s can be used with Stevia in many recipes, see their website for recipes.
Lower Sugar Orange Jelly
Ingredients:
4 cups freshly squeezed and strained orange juice
2 tsp calcium water*
¼ cup freshly squeezed and strained lemon juice
1 cup granulated sugar
4 tsp Pomona’s Pectin powder
Directions:
Place jars in canner, fill jars with water and canner ½ full with water, bring to a boil. Place lids in water in a small sauce pan; cover and heat to a simmer.
Measure strained juice into a large sauce pan.
Add calcium water and lemon juice, and mix well.
Measure sugar into a bowl. Thoroughly mix pectin powder into sugar.
Bring juice to a full boil. Add pectin-sugar mixture, stirring vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes to dissolve the pectin while the jam comes back up to a boil. Once the jam returns to a full boil, remove it from the heat.
Fill hot jars to ¼” of top. Wipe rims clean. Place a lif on, then a ring, tightened finger tight. Put filled jars back in canning kettle, bring water to a boil, making sure jars are covered. Boil 10 minutes (add 1 minute more for every 1,000 ft. above sea level). Remove from water. Let jars cool. Check seals, lids should be sucked down. Eat within 1 year. Lasts 3 weeks once opened.
Notes:
Prepare calcium water. To do this, combine ½ teaspoon calcium powder (in the small packet in your box of Pomona’s pectin) with ½ cup water in a small, clear jar with a lid. Shake well. Extra calcium water should be stored in the refrigerator for future use.
Makes 4 to 5 cups (I filled 5 jars).
Recipe borrowed from Pomona’s Pectin website.
