Prickly Pear Jelly
A testament to the desert Southwest, Prickly Pear Jelly takes the fruits from the cactus and transforms them into a delicious jelly!
Servings 4 pints
Ingredients
- 4 C prickly pear puree pulp of 70-80 prickly pears
- 4 C sugar
- 1 C lemon juice
- 1 box low-sugar pectin
Instructions
- Fill the water bath canner with water on a separate stove burner to prepare the jelly for the water bath.
- Wash the canning jars. Place the canning jars, lids and bands in the oven at 200 degrees F to sterilize while you are making the jam (it helps to have them all in an 13x9 dish to keep them all together).
- Clean your prickly pears; remove the pulp and add to your large blender. 70-80 prickly pears should yield 4C of puree. Proces the prickly pears (puree them); then strain through a fine mesh strainer.
- Add the prickly pear puree, sugar, pectin, and lemon juice to your deep stock pot. Give it a stir to combine.
- Crank the heat to high and bring the mixture to a rolling boil. Stir frequently, until the mixture reaches 220 degrees F. Once the mixture reaches 220 degrees F, continue to boil for 4-5 minutes.
- Carefully remove the pot from the stove.
- Remove from heat and ladle into sterilized canning jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Wipe rims thoroughly and then apply lids and bands (finger tight).
- Placed filled jars in a hot water bath, ensuring that they are covered by 2 inches of water. Place lid on water bath canner, and bring water to a steady boil.
- Process the jars for 10 minutes (half pint), adjusting for altitude. Boil 10 minutes at altitudes of 1,000 feet or less. Boil one additional minute for every 1,000 feet elevation.
- Turn off the heat, remove the lid and allow the jars to rest for 5 minutes. Then remove the jars entirely and allow to cool.
- Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lids should not flex up and down when center is pressed. Store jars in a cool place for up to 1 year.