Crab Apple Jelly

Ingredients

• 4 pounds Crab Apples (For Crab Apple Jelly)
• 6 cups Water (For Crab Apple Jelly)
• 4 cups Sugar (For Crab Apple Jelly)
• 4 pounds Currants (For Currant Jelly)
• 3 cups Sugar (For Currant Jelly)
• 2 pounds Raspberries (For Currant and Raspberry Jelly)

Instructions

1. 1Wash crab apples thoroughly. Do not cut into quarters, leave whole.
2. 2Place crab apples in a large pot with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until apples are soft (about 20-30 minutes).
3. 3Strain the cooked apples through a jelly bag or several layers of cheesecloth to extract the juice. Let it drip undisturbed for several hours or overnight. Do not squeeze the bag, as this will make the jelly cloudy.
4. 4Measure the strained juice. For every cup of juice, add equal measure of sugar. Heat the juice and sugar in a large pot over medium heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Bring to a rolling boil that cannot be stirred down. Boil until the jelly reaches the setting point (about 10-15 minutes). To test for setting point, place a small amount of jelly on a cold plate and let it cool. If it wrinkles when pushed with your finger, it is ready.
5. 5Skim off any foam from the surface of the jelly. Pour the hot jelly into sterilized jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Seal the jars according to canning instructions. Let the jars sit undisturbed for 24 hours to ensure they are properly sealed. Store in a cool, dry place.
6. 6Pick over currants, but do not remove stems; wash and drain.
7. 7Mash a few currants in the bottom of a preserving kettle, using a wooden potato masher; so continue until berries are used. Cook slowly until currants look white (about 20-30 minutes).
8. 8Strain through a coarse strainer, then allow juice to drop through a double thickness of cheese-cloth or a jelly bag.
9. 9Measure juice, bring to boiling-point, and boil five minutes; add unequal measure of heated sugar, boil three minutes, skim, and pour into glasses. (For every 4 cups of juice, add 3 cups of sugar)
10. 10Place in a sunny window, and let stand twenty-four hours. Cover, and keep in a cool, dry place.
11. 11Follow steps 1-3 for Currant Jelly, using equal parts of currants and raspberries. Combine the prepared currants and raspberries.
12. 12Follow step 4 for Currant Jelly, using the combined juice of currants and raspberries.
13. 13Follow step 5 for Currant Jelly to set and store the jelly.