Easy Apple Jelly Recipe Made with Juice
Canning truly is for everyone, especially if you’re just getting started. This easy Apple Jelly recipe uses powdered pectin and apple juice, so you don’t even need fresh apples to make it! It’s a fantastic beginner-friendly recipe that shows just how simple and rewarding home canning can be.
There’s something magical about pulling a jar of homemade jelly off the shelf in the middle of winter—a delicious reminder of summer’s bounty and your hard work.
If you’re looking to try more jelly and jam recipes, be sure to explore our Jams and Jellies page for plenty of tasty, approachable ideas to get you started.
This post contains affiliate links. This will not cost you anything but will help us offset the cost of running the blog. We only share products we use and would recommend to a friend. Thank you for your support! Click ‘HERE’ for more info.
Ingredients and Tools to Help You!
- Apple Juice– You can make apple jelly with apple juice or you can juice your own apples. Either way will get you some delicious jelly! I got some organic apple juice because it was so much easier than trying to make my own apple juice.
- Sugar– I use organic, raw sugar when possible
- Sure Jell Powdered Pectin- You can make jams and jellies without pectin but it is a longer process and there is a little more work involved. I often opt to use powdered pectin because it takes the guesswork out of making jams and jellies! This is one of the brands I use often.
- Butter- This helps jams and jellies not foam on the top as much! It just takes a little.
- Half-pint Jars– I don’t usually buy these from Amazon because they are a lot more expensive, so look for them at Walmart, Farm and Fleet, Menards, etc.
- Lids and Rings for jars- You should use new lids every time you can something new to ensure you get a proper seal.
How to Make Apple Jelly
Wash and sanitize 6 half-pint jars and lids by boiling them in a pot of water for 10 minutes. If you are water bath canning your jars for 10 minutes or longer, you don’t have to sanitize them. Since we only need to process the apple jelly for 5 minutes, sanitize the jars before beginning.
Pour the juice into a sauce pot. Add pectin and butter to the juice and stir. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. Stir constantly to avoid burning. Add sugar and bring back to a rolling boil. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off foam if necessary.
Using a funnel, ladle the jelly into sanitized jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe the rims with a clean cloth and put the lids on. Tighten to fingertip tight. Put the jars in the canner and lower the rack. The water should cover the jars by about 2 inches. Add water if needed. Put the top on the canner and bring the water to a boil. Once it is boiling, process the jars for 5 minutes.
When the timer goes off, turn the heat off and let them sit for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and remove the jars using a jar lifter. Let it sit for 12-24 hours and then check for proper seals. Store in a cool, dry place with the rings off.
More Apple Recipes
- Applesauce
- Apple Butter
- Apple Cider by the Experimental Homesteader
My Must-Have Tools
- Canning Tools: These tools make canning so much easier
- Waterbath Canner– Mine is similar to this one! There are also bundles where you can get your canner and the tools together and save a little bit.
Apple Jelly with Apple Juice
Equipment
- water bath canner
- half-pint jars and lids
- Canning Tools optional
Ingredients
- 4 cups apple juice organic
- 1 1.75oz box sure jell pectin
- 5 cups sugar raw, organic
- 1/2 tsp butter optional
Instructions
- Wash and sanitize 6 half-pint jars and lids by boiling them in a pot of water for 10 minutes.
- Pour the juice into a sauce pot. Add pectin and butter to the juice and stir. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. Stir constantly to avoid burning.
- Add sugar and bring back to a rolling boil. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off foam if necessary.
- Using a funnel, ladle the jelly into sanitized jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe the rims with a clean cloth and put the lids on. Tighten to fingertip tight.
- Put the jars in the canner and lower the rack. The water should cover the jars by about 2 inches. Add water if needed. Put the top on the canner and bring the water to a boil. Once it is boiling, process the jars for 5 minutes.
- When the timer goes off, turn the heat off and let sit for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and remove the jars using a jar lifter. Let sit for 12-24 hours and then check for proper seals. Store in a cool, dry place with the rings off.
5 Comments
Pingback:
Pingback:
Pingback:
Pat
I made this jelly recpie but was not clear, looked as it had bits os apple or foam in it I used a bottled 100% juice Did I over proces it? It was a little warm when I checked it. Thye juice was organic.
Samantha
Hi there! This has happened to me before with a jelly made from juice. Let’s see if we can figure out what happened to you.
1. Yes, you could have potentially processed for too long. This can cause the pectin to break down the texture of your jelly could be off. How long did you process your jelly for?
2. Did you pectin clump up when you added it to the juice? Sometimes this happens if you add it straight into the juice.
3. This is what happened to me: When I took my jelly off of the stove in the pot, I left it for a few minutes to get my jars ready. During that time my jelly started to set so when I ladled it into the jars it looked like there were some chunks in it that didn’t blend back in with the liquid. After I processed it in the water bath canner it still looked like there were chunks. I still ate it and it was fine.
Let me know what you think happened!