WORKS FOR ME WEDNESDAY - MORE APPLE MAGIC

My grandmother was here visiting while I was making applesauce, and as she watched me put the peels and slices into the compost bucket, she said, and I quote, "Why are you throwing away all of those peels and cores?"

And I said, "Umm.  I don't know.  What should I do with them?"

And she said, "Make apple jelly. [silly]" She didn't really say "silly", she merely implied it in her tone of voice.

And I said, "How do you do that?"

And she said, "I don't know."

But, oh the beauty of the interwebz.  A few minutes later, I had found a recipe online that was given my grandmother's full approval, and away we went.

I'm posting the original link here, in case you want to double check my accuracy.

But you can follow the recipe in full below:

Apple Core and Peeling Jelly
By UnknownChef86
Added September 13, 2004 | Recipe #99636
Categories: Jams and preserves Jellies Condiments, etc. More

Total Time:
Prep Time: Cook Time:

40 mins
10 mins 30 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 1 batch Units: US | Metric 15 -20 medium tart apples, peelings and cores from
6 cups water (for cooking cores and peels)
1 (1 3/4 ounce) box dry pectin
9 cups sugar
1 -2 drop red food coloring (or 1 drop each of yellow and blue food coloring) (optional)   (I DID NOT ADD FOOD COLORING)

Directions:

1. 1  Cook peelings and cores in 6 cups water for 20-30 minutes.
   
2. 
   
   2  Strain through prepared cheesecloth or jelly bag.
   
3. 
   
   
   
4. 3  Add water as needed, to strained juice, to obtain 7 cups liquid.
   
5. 
   
6. 
   
7. 
   
8. 
   
4  Add pectin (whisk works well) and bring to a rapid boil.

9. 
   
   5  Add sugar, boil hard for 1 minute.
   
10. 
    
    6  Note:If desired,food coloring can be added to juice for color.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    A couple of notes:  I did not add food coloring, but it naturally turned a lovely apple-y shade.  I also didn't have cheesecloth and just used a colander. This worked but required me to pour the liquid back through a strainer because a few chunks leaked through.  I have heard you can use a clean white pillowcase or sheet, but I didn't have one to try.  And finally, pectin can be a tad tricky.  It's important to keep the liquid measurements as exact as possible so the jelly will set.  Don't worry if it's liquid-y for a while...the heat will keep it from setting, but it should turn to jelly consistency when it is completely cooled.  Once again, I don't have canning equipment, so I poured into clean jars and put in the freezer.  The website that featured this recipe had a few comments that the jelly didn't set, but mine set beautifully as soon as it cooled.
    
    
    This is a pretty easy project to try, especially because it makes use of fruit pieces that would have just ended up in the compost or trash.  Good luck, friends.
    
    
    PS On a completely different note, I am also making an appearance today on A Drop in the Bucket as a guest blogger.  Hop on over and check it out.