Mayhaw Jelly
- 1½ pounds fully ripe mayhaws
- ½ pound barely ripe mayhaws (these are needed for pectin, which is what makes jelly gel)
- 4 cups (1 quart) cold water
- Sugar (¾ cup for each cup of mayhaw juice)
Instructions:
Serve this delicious jelly with butter on straight-from-the-oven biscuits or corn bread.
- Place all of the mayhaws and the water in a large nonreactive saucepan, set over moderate heat, and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat so the mixture barely bubbles and simmer uncovered, stirring often, for 10 to 15 minutes or until the mayhaws are mushy. Do not boil or overcook the mayhaws because you’ll destroy some of their natural pectin.
- Mash the mayhaws with a potato masher, then pour them and all of their liquid into a jelly bag suspended over a large heatproof bowl or into a footed colander lined with several thicknesses of cheesecloth set in a large bowl. Be patient and let the juice trickle through at its own speed. If you force the juice through by pressing the mayhaws, you will cloud the jelly. When all of the juice has been extracted, measure and jot down the exact amount.
- Return the juice to the saucepan, now rinsed out, and for every cup of juice, mix in ¾ cup of sugar. Insert a candy thermometer.
- Set over moderately low heat and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Adjust the heat so the mixture bubbles gently, then cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes or until the mixture reaches the jelling point (218° to 220° F.). You can also try this “sheeting” test to determine if the jelly is done: Take up a spoonful of the hot jelly mixture and if the drops run together, forming a solid sheet as they fall from the spoon, the jelly is ready.
- While the jelly cooks, wash and rinse 4 half pint preserving jars and their closures and submerge in a large kettle of boiling water.
- When the jelly is done, skim off the froth, then ladle the boiling jelly into the hot jars, filling each to within ¼ inch of the top. Tip: To avoid spills, use a wide-mouth canning funnel. Wipe the jar rims with a damp cloth and screw on the closures.
- Process the jars for 5 minutes in a boiling water bath (212° F.). Lift from the water bath; complete the seals, if necessary, by tightening the lids, then cool to room temperature.
- Date and label each jar of jelly, then store on a cool, dark shelf for about a month before serving.