Pomegranates are in season right now and so it is the ideal time to capture their seductive sweetness and make your own pomegranate jelly. This jelly recipe is really easy to follow and you can even adapt it to make pomegranate jam if you don’t filter or sieve the pomegranate juice. It should make between five and seven 8oz jars of jelly, ensuring that you can indulge your pomegranate passion for a good while to come.
Ingredients:
Eight or nine large and completely ripe pomegranates - the equivalent of around 5lbs or 2.25kg. Alternatively, you could use five cups of pomegranate juice - which is around 1.2 litres.
One box or eight tablespoons of no-sugar-needed pectin (if you can’t get this you’ll need another 700g of sugar)
A quarter of a cup or 60ml of lemon juice
Around 4.5 cups or 900g of granulated sugar
Equipment:
Large ladles and spoons
Jar funnel
Jar grabber
Two large pots
Jelly strainer or cheesecloth and a colander
A canner or very large pot for sanitising the jars
Lids, jars and rings
Method:
First and foremost, don’t attempt to make too much all at once. You can only make this jelly in small batches of around six cups at once so don’t increase the recipe.
Prepare and sanitise your lids and jars to get the best results - and keep them warm.
Mix the dry no-sugar pectin with 100g of sugar and set aside.
Juice the pomegranates, either by hand or using a juicer or blender and then sieve. The easiest way to release the juice manually is to heat the seeds over a medium heat until boiling and then simmer for ten minutes before sieving.
Put the juice in the pan and add the lemon juice. Stir in the pectin and bring to a full boil, stirring regularly.
Add the sugar and boil, keeping it boiling hard for a minute.
Check the consistency by using a metal tablespoon that has been in iced water to get half a spoonful of the mixture. Allow it to cool down to room temperature and if it is then the consistency you want it’s ready to go. If it’s too runny, add a little more pectin and boil again for a minute.
Fill the jars leaving a quarter inch gap at the top and seal, before processing the jars in your water bath.
Remove and, once the jars are cool, the jam is ready to store - or eat.
