My sweet neighbor Cleve came over yesterday with a pail full of green apples for me that came from the apple tree in his back yard. Southern women love to get a mess of homegrown fruits or vegetables to "put up." Usually 'puttin' up" means to can or preserve in some way and doesn't necessarily mean make jam or jelly, but that is what I had in mind for these beauties.
I don't know how you have learned to put up apples, but this is my preferred way. First, as with any project that might take awhile, pour yourself a glass of sweet tea or a cold Coca-Cola. Next, select a great set up tunes from your grandmother's generation to set the cottage kitchen in the right mood for domestic bliss. Download 09 Waiting for the Train to Come In
Next pull out all your canning supplies. You never know what you might need, but basically a big bowl, a colender, cutting board, cutting knife, funnel, jars with rings and lids, several freshly laundered dish towels, and a few big enamel covered iron pots and lids.
If your dishwasher is hot enough, run your jars and rings through the hottest cycle, otherwise they'll need sterilizing in a hot water bath. I always sterilize lids in boiling water and let them cool.
Meanwhile, wash 5 pounds of apples and cut into cubes, removing stems and blossom ends and any blemished or wormy pieces.
Boil in large, covered enamel pot for 10 minutes with about 5 cups of water. Mash apples once they are tender.
Line colender with a single ply of paper coffee filters or 3 layers of cheesecloth and set on top of a large Pyrex bowl. Turn off heat and ladel hot apple mixture into colender and allow juice to drip into the bowl. Mash down apples to encourage extra juice to fall.
Clean the enamel pot and return it to the stove. Measure apple juice and pour into large pot. Ideally you want 8 cups of apple juice. However I didn't start with 5 pounds of apples. I also had to cut off several less desirable places on the apples where little critters had munched. They love apples as much as we do and not counting the 1000 year flood that washed Nashville away in early May, the summer has been exceptionally hot and dry. Suspecting I would come up short on juice today, I purchased some apple juice at the market last night. Between the homemade juice and purchased juice, there are 8 cups and we can proceed.
Add the 8 cups of juice to the pot and add an equal amount of sugar. If you do not plan to add pectin, you'll need more sugar to make the jelly set up. Otherwise, an added box of pectin will do the trick. Bring the juice, sugar, and pectin to a rolling boil, stirring constantly. If the mixture is getting foamy, add about a tablespoon of unsalted butter and keep stirring. I don't know what works better, the butter or the stirring.
After the apple mixture remains at a boil for a minute while you are still stirring, then it's ready to fill the jelly jars. I like the contemporary Ball Elite size and shape. Because they are the same circumference as a pint or quart jar, they stack better in the pantry. They also make a welcomed "happy" for friends and neighbors by simply adding a ribbon and tag.
Ladle into the sterilized jars up to 1/8th inch from the rim. Add top and ring. Allow to cool.
You'll hear the lids pop as the jelly cools, condenses and forms a vacuum inside the jar.
Your unopened jelly should be good stored in a cool, dry place for up to one year. Opened jelly should go into the fridge.
To ensure the vacuum process, you can place jars on a wire rack and submerge in boiling water for 5 minutes. If the acidity of your jelly is high, this step really isn't necessary. For canning vegetables and low acidity fruits, a pressure canner is required.
Jelly doesn't always set up. I don't know why... variations in the amount of sugar, altitude, humidity, using metal utinsils, and the like may contribute to it. Instead of opening jars, adding sugar and pectin, and basically starting over, I turn philosophical and remember there are no mistakes in life, only learning experiences. Simply relabel the jars and call it Apple Honey. And move on. It's great on pancakes or for flavoring whipped cream to dollop on Zuchini Sweet Potato Bread or chocolate cake.
Bake up a batch of homemade biscuits. Add butter and your newly made apple jelly (or apple honey). Enjoy!