How to Make Homemade Pomegranate Jelly - Easily!

Making and canning your own pomegranate jelly  is also quite easy. Here's how to do it, in 12 easy steps and completely illustrated. These directions work equally well for other types of jelly: raspberry, blackberry, boysenberry, dewberry, gooseberry, loganberry, tayberry, marionberry, youngberry, etc.; by themselves or mixed berry jelly. Any variations will be spelled out in the directions inside the pectin. 

Related pages: See this page for How to make muscadine or scuppernong jelly or this page for Jam-making directions and this page for apple jelly directions!

For easy applesauce or apple butter directions, click on these links.

---

Pomegranate Jelly-making Directions

Makes 6 jars, 8 oz each

This example shows you how to make pomegranate jelly. You can use this recipe to make almost any type of jelly from the fruit juice; where there is a difference, I will point it out! The yield from this recipe is about 12 eight-ounce jars (which is the same as 6 pints).

Ingredients

• Pomegranatess - 8 or 9 large fully ripe pomegranates (or 5 cups prepared juice) That also about 5 lbs of fresh pomegranates. If you want to start with pomegranate juice (5 cups bottled, without sugar added or reconstituted from frozen, without sugar), you can skip to step 7. If you have a juicer, that makes life easier; again, you could use it and skip to step 7.
• Pectin (it's a natural product, made from apples and available at grocery stores (season - spring through late summer) and local "big box" stores. It usually goes for about $2.00 to $2.50 per box.See here for more information about how to choose the type of pectin to use.
• Sugar - About 4.5 cups of dry, granulated (table) sugar. For the no-sugar recipe, click here

Equipment

• Large spoons and ladles
• Jar funnel ($2 at Target, other big box stores, and often grocery stores; and available online - see this page) or order it as part of the kit with the jar grabber.
• Jar grabber (to pick up the hot jars)- Big box stores and grocery stores sometimes carry them; and it is available online - see this page. It's a tremendously useful to put jars in the canner and take the hot jars out (without scalding yourself!). The kit sold below has everything you need, and at a pretty good price:
  

• At least 1 large pot; I prefer 16 to 20 quart Teflon lined pots for easy cleanup.
• Jelly strainer - see step 6 - or a colander and cheesecloth.
• 1 Canner (a huge pot to sterilize the jars after filling (about $30 to $35 at mall kitchen stores, sometimes at big box stores and grocery stores.). Note: we sell canners and supplies here, too - at excellent prices - and it helps support this web site!
• Ball jars (Grocery stores, like Publix, Kroger, Safeway carry them, as do some big box stores - about $7 per dozen 8 ounce jars including the lids and rings)
• Lids - thin, flat, round metal lids with a gum binder that seals them against the top of the jar. They may only be used once.
• Rings - metal bands that secure the lids to the jars. They may be reused many times.

Optional stuff:

• Foley Food Mill ($25) - not necessary; useful to mush up the fruit or if you want to remove seeds (for example, from blackberries) or make applesauce.
• Lid lifter (has a magnet to pick the lids out of the boiling water where you sterilize them. ($2 at big box stores or it comes in the kit at left)

 

 

---

Step 1 - Pick the pomegranates! (or buy them already picked)

It's hard to find places to pick your own pomegranates, so most people will use store-bought

Step 2 - How much fruit?

Pomegranate Jelly can ONLY be made in rather small batches - about 6 cups at a time - like the directions on the pectin say, DO NOT increase the recipes or the pomegranate jelly won't "set" (jell, thicken). As mentioned in the Ingredients section; you may use either 6 to 8 fresh pomegranates or 5 cups of pomegranate juice (either bottled or reconstituted from frozen concentrate) without added sugar.  Using pomegranate juice is especially useful if you want to make some pomegranate jelly in December to give away at Christmas!

Step 3 - Wash the jars and lids

Now's a good time to get the jars ready, so you won't be rushed later. The dishwasher is fine for the jars; especially if it has a "sterilize" cycle, the water bath processing will sterilize them as well as the contents! If you don't have a dishwasher with a sterilize cycle, you can wash the containers in hot, soapy water and rinse, then sterilize the jars by boiling them 10 minutes, and keep the jars in hot water until they are used.

NOTE: If unsterilized jars are used, the product should be processed for 5 more minutes. However, since this additional processing can result in a poor set (runny jelly), it’s better to sterilize the jars.

Put the lids into a pan of hot, but not quite boiling water (that's what the manufacturer's recommend) for 5 minutes, and use the magnetic "lid lifter wand" to pull them out.

Leave the jars in the dishwasher on "heated dry" until you are ready to use them. Keeping them hot will prevent the jars from breaking when you fill them with the hot jelly.

Step 3 - Measure out the sugar

Check the directions with the pectin; typically, it is 7 cups of sugar to 5 cups of pomegranate juice and one box of pectin. The precise measurements are found in each and every box of pectin sold. Mix the dry pectin with about 1/4 cup of sugar and Keep this separate from the rest of the sugar. If you are not using sugar, you'll just have to stir more vigorously to prevent the pectin from clumping. Set both aside until step 8.

Step 4 -Wash the pomegranates!

I'm sure you can figure out how to wash the pomegranates in a large bowl under running plain cold water.

 

Step 5 - Cut in half and scoop out the insides of the pomegranates

One large pomegranate yields between one-fourth to one-half cup of juice. There are a variety of ways to extract the juice.  All involve crushing or pressing the seeds. You cut the pomegranates in half and scoop out the innards to release the juice. 

1. Heating the innards in a saucepan over load to medium heat will help to free the juice. Once you get the pomegranate glop to almost boiling, you can then run it through a strainer, sieve, Foley Food Mill or colander.
2. Juice can also be extracted by whirling seeds, 1 1/2 cups at a time, in a blender or food processor until liquefied,
   then straining them. Strain the crushed pulp through a double thickness of cheesecloth or nylon netting to remove seeds.
3. Another method of obtaining juice is to cut the fruit in half and use a juice press or juicer. Press, do not twist the fruit. The rind contains tannin, which gives the juice a bitter taste. Place the juicer in the sink to avoid splattering. Strain juice.

Step 6 - Heat the crushed pomegranates on the stove

We just want to bring the pomegranates almost to a boil to help release the juice and break down some of the fruit to help it pass through our jelly strainer. Put the crushed pomegranates in a big pot on the stove over medium to high heat (stir often enough to prevent burning) for until it starts to boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Step 7 - Sieve the cooked pomegranates

You can either put the soft cooked pomegranates through a jelly strainer (about $9.00, see ordering at right) which results in the most clear jelly and is easiest to use, or pour them through cheesecloth in a colander; or use a food mill. Or if you don't mind chunky jelly, just let the juice stand for 20 minutes, and Decant (pour off) the clear liquid to use and leave the solids behind.

You may also want to run the crushed cooked pomegranates through a Foley food mill  (about $20 - see this page) BEFORE the jelly strainer - it helps to extract more juice and jet out the large skins that will clog the strainer.  It's not necessary, but helps you get the most out of the pomegranates.

If you need a stopping point and want to finish up the next day, this is a good place. Sometimes, jelly gets crystals, called tartrate crystals, forming in the jelly.  They're not harmful and don't affect the taste, but some people don't like the appearance.  I rarely even see them! But if you do, let juice stand in a cool place overnight, then strain through two thicknesses of damp cheesecloth to remove any crystals that have formed.

Step 8 - Add the pectin to the hot strained juice and bring to a full boil

Stir the pectin into the pomegranate juice and put the mix in a big pot on the stove over medium to high heat (stir often enough to prevent burning). It should take about 5 to 10 minutes to get it to a full boil (the kind that can not be stirred away).

Notes about pectin: I usually add about 20% more pectin (just open another pack and add a little) or else the jelly is runnier than I like. With a little practice, you'll find out exactly how much pectin to get the thickness you like.

Another tip: use the low sugar pectin. It cuts the amount of sugar you need from 7 cups per batch to 4 cups! And it tastes even better! On the other hand; I have never had success with the No-sugar pectin. It always turned out runny and bland. You might want to try using the low sugar recipe with a mixture of sugar and Splenda; that could work.

Is your jelly too runny? Pectin enables you to turn out perfectly set jelly every time. Made from natural apples, there are also low-sugar pectins that allow you to reduce the sugar you add by almost half!
Get it here at BETTER prices!

Step 9 - Get the lids heating

If you didn't do so already, put the lids into a pan of hot water for at least several minutes; to soften up the gummed surface and clean the lids.

Need lids, rings and replacement jars?

Get them all here, delivered direct to your home, at the best prices on the internet!

 

Step 10 - Add the remaining sugar and bring to a boil

When the pomegranate-pectin mix has reached a full boil, add the rest of the sugar (about 6 cups of sugar per 5 cup batch of pomegranate juice; 4 cups of sugar if you are using the low or no-sugar pectin) and then bring it back to a boil and boil hard for 1 minute.

 

 

 

Step 11 - Testing for "jell" (thickness)

I keep a metal tablespoon sitting in a glass of ice water, then take a half spoonful of the mix and let it cool to room temperature on the spoon. If it thickens up to the consistency I like, then I know the jelly is ready. If not, I mix in a little more pectin (about 1/4 to 1/2 of another package) and bring it to a boil again for 1 minute.

 

Step 12 - Fill the jars and put the lid and rings on

Fill them to within ¼-inch of the top, wipe any spilled jelly off the top, seat the lid and tighten the ring around them. Then put them into the boiling water canner!

This is where the jar tongs come in really handy!

Step 13 - Process the jars in the boiling water bath

Keep the jars covered with at least 2 inches of water. Keep the water boiling. In general, boil them for 5 minutes, which is what SureJell (the makers of the pectin) recommend.  I say "in general" because you have to process (boil) them longer at higher altitudes than sea level, or if you use larger jars, or if you did not sterilize the jars and lids right before using them.  The directions inside every box of pectin will tell you exactly - and see the Table below for altitude differences. The directions on the pectin tend to be pretty conservative.  Note: Some people don't even boil the jars; they just ladle it hot into hot jars, put the lids and rings on and invert them, but putting the jars in the boiling water bath REALLY helps to reduce spoilage! To me, it makes little sense to put all the working into making the jelly and then not to process the jars to be sure they don't spoil!

 

Step 14 - Remove and cool the jars - Done!

Lift the jars out of the water with your jar lifter tongs and let them cool without touching or bumping them in a draft-free place (usually takes overnight) You can then remove the rings if you like. Once the jars are cool, you can check that they are sealed verifying that the lid has been sucked down. Just press in the center, gently, with your finger. If it pops up and down (often making a popping sound), it is not sealed. If you put the jar in the refrigerator right away, you can still use it. Some people replace the lid and reprocess the jar, then that's a bit iffy. If you heat the contents back up, re-jar them (with a new lid) and the full time in the canner, it's usually ok.

Once cooled, they're ready to store. I find they last up to 12 months. But after about 6 to 8 months, they get darker in color and start to get runny. They still are safe to eat, but the flavor and texture aren't as good. So eat them in the first 6 months after you prepare them!

---

Other Equipment:

From left to right:

1. Jar lifting tongs
   to pick up hot jars
2. Lid lifter
   - to remove lids from the pot
   of boiling water (sterilizing )
3. Lid
   - disposable - you may only
   use them once
4. Ring
   - holds the lids on the jar until after
   the jars cool - then you don't need them
5. Canning jar funnel
   - to fill the jars

---