3 pounds (1. 4 kg) of apples for 4 cups (950 ml) of juice. 3 pounds (1. 4 kg) of strawberries for 4 cups (950 ml) of juice. 2 1⁄4–3 3⁄4 pounds (1. 0–1. 7 kg) of blackberries or blueberries for 4 cups (950 ml) of juice. 3 1⁄2–4 pounds (1. 6–1. 8 kg) of fresh grapes for 5 cups (1,200 ml) of juice. You can use pre-packaged fruit juice instead of fresh fruit.
Small fruits like berries and grapes are tiny enough that you don’t need to cut them beforehand.
For every 1 pound (0. 45 kg) of apples, add 1 cup (240 ml) of water. For 1 pound (0. 45 kg) of blackberries or blueberries, use 1⁄4 cup (59 ml) of water. Use 1⁄4 cup (59 ml) of water for 1 pound (0. 45 kg) of grapes. Add 1⁄4 cup (59 ml) of water for 1 pound (0. 45 kg) of strawberries. [4] X Research source
Give yourself about 20–25 minutes if you’re extracting apple juice. It usually takes about 5–10 minutes to extract juice from blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, and grapes. As the fruit cooks, try using your potato masher on the pieces to crush them and extract even more juice.
You can squeeze the fruit while it’s inside the bag to get more juice, but your jelly may look cloudy. If you end up squeezing the bag, strain the juice one more time to get rid of any small pieces that snuck through.
If your fruit juice doesn’t taste like the lemon juice solution, then add 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of lemon juice and do another taste test. Sour apples, grapes, and sour blackberries have high acid content and shouldn’t need any extra. Ripe apples, ripe blackberries, and California grapes sometimes need a little extra acid, but they may taste okay without it. Blueberries, peaches, raspberries, and strawberries always need additional acid. [8] X Research source
Grapes, cranberries, gooseberries, and tart apples all have high pectin, so you shouldn’t have to add any extra. [10] X Trustworthy Source Penn State Extension Educational organization dedicated to delivering science-based information to people, businesses, and communities Go to source Blueberries, cherries, peaches, raspberries, and strawberries are all low in pectin, so you’ll probably need to add some to your jelly. Rubbing alcohol is not food-safe, so avoid eating the alcohol-juice mixture.
Commercial pectin comes with a chart letting you know how much you need to add for specific fruits.
¾ cup (150 g) of sugar for every 1 cup (240 ml) of apple juice. ¾–1 cup (150–200 g) of sugar for 1 cup (240 ml) of blackberry or blueberry juice. 1 cup (200 g) of sugar for every 1 cup (240 ml) of grape juice. ¾ cup (150 g) of sugar for every 1 cup (240 ml) of strawberry juice. Stirring the juice also prevents the bottom of the pot from burning or scorching.
You can also test if jelly is done by dipping a cool metal spoon into the juice and holding it sideways above the pot. If the jelly hands down in one large drop, then it’s finished.
Adding ½ teaspoon (2. 5 g) of butter to the juice when you first start cooking can prevent foam from forming, but it can give your jelly an off-flavor.
Set the jars on a heat-safe surface before you pour in the jelly so you don’t accidentally damage anything underneath them.
Canning your jelly makes the jar airtight so bacteria can’t get inside before you have a chance to use it.
Label the jelly with the day you made it so you know how long you’ve been storing it.
If you ever notice mold in the jelly or if it has a pungent odor, toss it out.
