Old-Fashioned Apple Jelly
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This old-fashioned apple jelly recipe is simple and easy to make! Made without pectin, this recipe embraces the natural fruit flavor of fresh apples, perfect for your next trip to the apple orchard. In this apple jelly canning guide, I will show you how to make a jelly that is sweet, tart, and tastes like it came out of your grandma’s pantry. It tastes delicious spread on crackers with a bite of cream cheese!
Best Apples for Jelly
Use fresh, ripe apples without soft spots or any signs of rot.
It is also recommended to use some underripe apples for better set in your jelly as they contain higher levels of natural pectin. Though, to be fair, apples already contain quite a bit of natural pectin.
Don’t use overripe apples as it can lead to mushy, underset jam.
I personally prefer to use a “jam apple varieties” to make jelly because they’re not the best for eating fresh anyway. Try varieties like Crabapples, Yellow Transparent, Granny Smith, McIntosh, and Garvensteins.
Pro Tip: Tart apples are better for making jelly than sweet apples!
Canning Tips for Apple Jelly
Use a wide, stainless steel or heavy bottomed pot to encourage even cooking and faster water evaporation.
Stir often and watch for bubbling over— jelly foams quickly and can overflow! You can add butter to help reduce the amount of foam, up to 2 tablespoons worth.
Before filling jars, skim off any foam for the clearest finish and to avoid any bacteria in your preserves.
Test for doneness using a cold plate (spoon the jelly onto the plate and watch for it to wrinkle) or an instant read thermometer (220°F at sea level).
Canning Safety notes
Apple jelly is safe for water bath canning due to its high natural acidity and sugar content.
Follow tested recipes and USDA guidelines to ensure safety.
Use new lids for canning. Most canning jar companies only recommend using lids once, in case that seals become damaged after storing food in a previous season. Using old lids can result in a false seal and spoiled food.
Assembly line can rather than batch canning. This means filling one jar at a time rather than filling all of the jars at once. This ensures that the jars stay hot, keeping them from going through temperature shock when being put into the water bath canner.
Use plastic utensils to prevent cracking your jars.
Process jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes (adjust for altitude as needed).
Always use new lids and clean jars to ensure a strong seal.
Canning supplies you’ll need
Canning Jars, New Lids, and Bands. I prefer to use Ball® jars, lids, and bands. You will need new canning lids to safely can your blueberry jam. Do not can with used lids, as the seals can potentially be damaged. For this recipe, you will need 4 oz or 8 oz jars.
Jelly Bag & Stand. This tool is incredibly helpful when it comes to extracting juice for jelly making. I would highly recommend getting a jelly bag and stand because it reduces waste, mess, and provides you with the highest volume of juice. If you don’t have a jelly bag and stand, you can use a colander lined with several layer of cheesecloth.
Large Pot. You will definitely want a large sauce pot with a lid to cook down your strawberry jam. I prefer using enameled cast iron for cooking jam like this one or this one.
Jar Lifter. You will definitely want this tool to help lift the hot jars in and out of the canner!
Canning Funnel. A funnel can be nice to have to avoid spills. Use a nonmetallic funnel to avoid breakage.
Nonmetallic Spatula. Another tool that can be helpful to avoid breakage of your jars, and it can be great for removing air bubbles.
Headspace Measurer. This tool is made to easily measure the headspace of your food, which is necessary for low-acid canning to avoid siphoning! It can also double as an air bubble popper.
Instant Read Thermometer. Optional, to test for doneness.
Potato Masher or Immersion Blender. To mash the blueberries down before cooking.
gathering ingredients to make Apple Jelly:
Before you begin making your homemade apple jelly, you will need to gather a few key ingredients! This jelly uses simple ingredients, making it an easy to achieve recipe. However, you will need quite a few peaches!
Apples. You will need about 6 lbs (2,722 g) fresh apples, quartered and the blossom ends removed.
Bottled Lemon Juice. To make sure that the acidity levels are high enough to be shelf stable, you will need to use bottled lemon juice.
Sugar. Any granulated sugar will work for this recipe, and I would suggest using an organic cane sugar over brown sugar so that it does not alter the flavor and color of the jam. I would not suggest substituting with honey or other liquid sugars.
Butter. Butter is an optional ingredient in this recipe to prevent foaming.
how to make Apple Jelly:
Step One: Begin by making the apple juice for jelly-making. In a large stainless steel saucepan, place the prepared apples. Toss with enough cold water to just cover the fruit, or about 1 cup (240 ml) of water for each 1 lb (454 g) of apples. Bring the fruit to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently to prevent scorching.
Step Two: Reduce the heat, cover the pot loosely, and boil gently for about 30 minutes or until the apples are softened. While cooking, gently mash the apples with a potato masher.
Step Three: Transfer the apple mixture to a dampened jelly bag or strainer lined with several layers of dampened cheesecloth set over a deep bowl. Leave the juice to drip into the bowl for at least 2 hours or overnight. Do not squeeze the bag - this can result in cloudy jelly!
Step Four: Once the juice has finished dripping, it can be turned into jelly right away. It can also be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for about 24-48 hours. You will need 4 cups (960 ml) of juice to make this jelly recipe.
Step Five: Prepare your boiling water bath canner. Sanitize your jars, lids, and rings by gently simmering the jars in the canner until ready to fill and washing the lids and rings in warm, soapy water. For more information on setting up your canner, read this post.
Step Six: In a large, deep stainless steel saucepan, combine the apple juice, lemon juice, and sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly to dissolve the sugar.
Step Seven: Boil the jelly hard, stirring frequently to prevent burning, until the mixture comes to the gel stage. The gel stage is achieved once the jelly has reached 220°F (104°C) at sea level when tested with an instant read thermometer. If you do not have an instant read thermometer, you can use the cold plate test or cold spoon test*.
Step Eight: Quickly pour the hot jelly into a hot jar, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. With a silicone spatula, poke around in the jelly to remove air bubbles and adjust the headspace as needed. Wipe the rim of the jar clean with a damp paper towel. Apply the lid and band to fingertip tight. Place the jar into the canner. Repeat the filling process with the remaining jars and jelly.
Step Nine: Once all of the jars have been filled, close the lid of the canner and turn the heat up to a hard, rolling boil. Process the jars for 10 minutes (adjust processing time for altitude). Then, turn off the heat and remove the canner lid. Leave the jars in the hot water for a further 5 minutes before removing them. Check the seals on the jars after 12 to 24 hours.
Alternate Preservation Methods
If you don’t wish to hot water bath can your homemade apple jelly, you can make:
Refrigerator Jelly: Make the jelly according to the directions above. Store the finished jelly in airtight containers, letting cool to room temperature before chilling. Refrigerate for up to 3 weeks.
Freezer Jelly: Make the jelly according to the directions above, letting cool to room temperature. Pour the cooled jelly into freezer-safe containers, leaving at least 1/2-inch headspace for expansion. Freeze for up to 1 year. Thaw in the refrigerator before using.
Pro Tip: Freezer jelly often has a softer set and extra-fresh flavor compared to canned jelly!
Storage Instructions
Store sealed jars in a cool, dark pantry for up to 18 months or longer.
Opened jars can be kept in the fridge for 2 to 3 weeks.
Frozen jam lasts in the freezer up to 1 year and should be refrigerated once thawed.
Variations
Add a splash of vanilla extract for an extra depth of flavor after the boiling process has ended. Simply stir in the vanilla before ladling the finished jelly into jars.
Make a warm spiced apple jelly by adding a pinch or two of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, or ginger.
Create a mixed berry jam by combining the apples with blackberries, blueberries, or raspberries when extracting the juice.
Citrus apple jelly can easily be made by mixing in fresh lemon juice or fresh orange juice, replacing some of the apple juice.
Serving Suggestions
Spread your delicious apple jelly over cream cheese and crackers or onto a peanut butter and jelly sandwich! Try your old-fashioned jam with these cozy fall recipes:
Linzer Cookies with Raspberry Jam - swap the raspberry jam for peach!
Old-Fashioned Apple Jelly: Canning Recipe
Did you know that you can make delicious preserves with the juice from apples? This old-fashioned jelly recipe is made without pectin, gelling naturally.
Ingredients
- 6 lbs (2722 g) fresh apples, quartered and blossom ends removed
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) bottled lemon juice
- 3 cups (600 g) granulated sugar
Instructions
- Begin by making the apple juice for jelly-making. In a large stainless steel saucepan, place the prepared apples. Toss with enough cold water to just cover the fruit, or about 1 cup (240 ml) of water for each 1 lb (454 g) of apples. Bring the fruit to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently to prevent scorching.
- Reduce the heat, cover the pot loosely, and boil gently for about 30 minutes or until the apples are softened.
- Transfer the apple mixture to a dampened jelly bag or strainer lined with several layers of dampened cheesecloth set over a deep bowl. Leave the juice to drip into the bowl for at least 2 hours or overnight. Do not squeeze the bag - this can result in cloudy jelly!
- Once the juice has finished dripping, it can be turned into jelly right away. It can also be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for about 24-48 hours.
- Prepare your boiling water bath canner. Sanitize your jars, lids, and rings. Gently simmer the jars in the canner until ready to fill.
- In a large, deep stainless steel saucepan, combine the apple juice, lemon juice, and sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly to dissolve the sugar.
- Boil the jelly hard, stirring frequently to prevent burning, until the mixture comes to the gel stage. The gel stage is achieved once the jelly has reached 220°F (104°C) at sea level when tested with an instant read thermometer. If you do not have an instant read thermometer, you can use the cold plate test or cold spoon test*.
- Quickly pour the hot jelly into a hot jar, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. With a silicone spatula, poke around in the jelly to remove air bubbles and adjust the headspace as needed. Wipe the rim of the jar clean with a damp paper towel. Apply the lid and band to fingertip tight. Place the jar into the canner. Repeat the filling process with the remaining jars and jelly.
- Once all of the jars have been filled, close the lid of the canner and turn the heat up to a hard, rolling boil. Process the jars for 10 minutes (adjust processing time for altitude). Then, turn off the heat and remove the canner lid. Leave the jars in the hot water for a further 5 minutes before removing them. Check the seals on the jars after 12 to 24 hours.
- Store the jars without the bands in a cool, dark place such as a pantry cabinet for 18+ months. Opened jars can be kept in the fridge for about 2 to 3 weeks.
Notes
*Gel Stage: To test jam for doneness, it's best to use an instant read thermometer so that you can accurately measure the temperature. Jam reaches the gel stage at 220°F at sea level. You can lower the temperature by 2 degrees for every 1,000 ft above sea level. Other ways to test for doneness would be the cold plate test. Place a plate into the refrigerator until fully chilled. Pour a small amount of boiling jam onto the plate and place it back into the fridge for a few minutes. If the mixture gels and "wrinkles" when touched, it's ready.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
933
