Roselle Jelly

Roselle Jelly

Roselle Jelly, also known as Jamaican Sorrel, this makes a wonderful jelly for biscuits!

Prep Time:  30 min  ~  Cook Time: 18 min  ~  Servings: 3 1/2 half-pints

Instructions:

• Prepare the fruit for jam making first soak it for a few minutes in a sink full of cold water and then drain.
• Separate the red calyx from the seedpod. Place the seed pods in a saucepan.
• Cover the seedpods with water ( 1″ over pods ), bring to a boil, then reduce to medium for 25 minutes, until soft and translucent in appearance.
• Strain the seedpods through a sieve, dispose of the seedpods, reserving the liquid.
• Chop the calyces with a knife into small pieces and add to a large saucepan.
• Pour the pectin liquid into the saucepan, add the red calyces and simmer gently until they are very soft.
  Use an immersion blender to smooth
• Measure this fruit pulp and add cup for cup of sugar to the fruit pulp.
• Stir over a gentle heat until the sugar is completely dissolved and then bring to a boil. The jam will froth high in the saucepan and so needs to be no more than half full before you start it boiling.
• Watch for when the jam stops frothing and settles down to a hard boil. About 20 – 25 minutes
• Skim foam from top*******As the jam reaches setting point it is also most likely to stick and burn so pay close attention and stir often. Remember that the setting of a jam is a chemical reaction between the fruit acid, the sugar and the pectin, not an evaporative process. Jams set as they cool, if over-cooked the setting point may be passed, and instead a thick syrup rather than a gel is formed.
• Bottle the jam into clean hot jars and seal immediately.