This Spiced Elderberry Jelly goes nicely on morning toast or a bagel. This recipe is excerpted from The Old-Fashioned Fruit Garden (Skyhorse Publishing, 2012), a simple guide to understanding the basics of fruit gardening. For additional information on elderberries and more elderberry recipes, go to 4 Delicious Elderberry Recipes.
You can purchase this book from the Mother Earth Living store: The Old-Fashioned Fruit Garden.
Spiced Elderberry Jelly Recipe
• 6 pounds tart fresh apples
• 1 tablespoon ground cloves (or 1/4 cup whole cloves)
• 4 quarts elderberries with stems
• 1 quart cider vinegar
• 1 quart water
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon (or 1/4 cup cinnamon stick)
• Sugar
1. Cut up apples. In a large preserving pot, combine early ripe elderberries, apples, cider vinegar, and water. Simmer, covered, until fruit is soft, stirring as needed. Mash fruit. Strain mixture through a jelly bag and let drip for several hours or overnight.
2. Measure juice and cook 4 cups at a time in a large stainless-steel pot. Cover, bring to a boil, and stir in cinnamon and cloves (if whole, put them in a cheesecloth bag). Stir in 1 cup sugar to each cup juice. Boil, uncovered, for 15 minutes or until a small amount sheets off a metal spoon. Remove spice bag.
3. Remove jelly from heat and let subside. Stir, skimming if desired. Fill hot scalded jars to 1/4 inch from the top and seal at once with snap lids and screw bands. Process in a boiling-water bath or steam canner for 10 minutes.
This excerpt has been reprinted with permission from The Old-Fashioned Fruit Garden, by Jo Ann Gardner, published by Skyhorse Publishing, 2012. Buy this book from our store: The Old-Fashioned Fruit Garden.
