Wild Cranberry Jelly Recipe

Directions:

1. Note: 3 1/2 cups of wild cranberries equals 3 cups of prepared juice.
2. -Day1-.
3. Pick cranberries.
4. Remove stems and leaves.
5. Wash and drain.
6. Prepare a pan as a strainer.
7. This is done by using 2-3 layers of good cheesecloth, (or you can use an old but clean linen dish towel).
8. Drape over a large pan and secure with clothes pins.
9. A large enamel basin works well.
10. Using a stock pot or a large canning pot, add berries.
11. Add water to barely cover the berries.
12. Bring to a boil.
13. Turn down heat to medium or medium low.
14. Continue cooking until cranberries start popping and they look translucent.
15. (about 1-2 hours) Pour the cranberries onto the prepared strainer.
16. Do not handles the berries, even with a spoon, while draining.
17. (Handling the berries will make a cloudy jelly.) Drain overnight.
18. -Day2-.
19. Measure out 3 and 1/2 cups of the wild cranberry juice into a stockpot or small canning pot.
20. Add the 7 cups of sugar.
21. Bring to a full boil, stirring constantly.
22. Add the 2 pouches of Certo or Fruit Jel , still stirring, and bring back to full boil.
23. Boil for 1 minute.
24. Remove from heat and let sit 3 minutes.
25. Skim the form off with a skimmer or metal spoon.
26. Pour quickly into prepared jars.
27. Process jars.
28. (Note: Instead of processing the jars I pour melted parrafin over the top of jell. About 0.125 of an inch. Cover with lids and let cool on a towel.) Once jars are cool, test each one for a seal by pressing the center of the lid.
29. The lid should not flex up and down.
30. If it does fefrigerate or reprocess with a new lid.
31. Note: Apple juice can be added to the wild cranberry juice if there isn't quite enough juice to equil the 3 1/2 cups.