Elderberry Jelly, Part V, Straining

Forget jelly bags. I use cheap cheescloth, and always have. I use it for cheese too. You can get it in the craft section at Walmart, or about any fabric store. There are 4 layers here. This is the hot, mashed pulp, simmered for a few minutes until the pulp and juice separates from the seeds.

I draped 4 layers over this bowl, poured the pulp in gently, then tied it from my cupboard with some paper string. I use various thicknesses of paper string for lots of uses. It is cheap. It can be used to tie packages, tie up sheep fleeces, hang cheeses, and hanging jelly from the cupboard door.

Notice the steam curling around the bottom. This pulp is HOT.

I twist this bag when it is touchable. I twist it one way, then the other, tight, and squeeze as much pulp and juice as I can get out of it without ripping the cheesecloth. It makes the jelly taste better.

While this cooled, and before I twisted the juice out of it, first I washed the pot I poured it out of for the last stage of jelly-making. Then I pulled 4 hot pint jars out of the oven and set them on a clean towel. It is supposed to make 4 1/2 cups, which is only 2 1/2 pint jars, but I always sterilize extra. No recipe is exact.

Then I twist every last bit of juice I can get out of this bag; and pour the juice back into the pot. I add my 4-years expired pectin, and bring it to a rolling boil. Then I add 4 1/4 cups sugar, stirring, and bring it back to a rolling boil for one minute. I take it off the heat. I attempt to remove foam, but there is no foam to remove, really. Then I pour it into the hot jars up to 1/8 inch from the top. I use the tongs I've boiled with the lids to put the lids on the jars, straight out of the simmering water I've boiled them in, and twist on the rings.

Now the recipe from the pectin box says to invert the jars for 5 minutes. This doesn't go well. They leak. So I decided not to invert the second batch.

I make my husband some toast with butter and jelly, with the bread he made yesterday, and I clean out my jelly-making pan, the "foam" cup, and the spills. That is when he tells me it is too lemony. But I don't care. It tastes good.