Pomegranate Jelly

[silentmeow]

I wanted to make a batch this Fall so I bought a jar of the concentrated juice by Cortas. Can I use that right out of the bottle or should it be diluted? I have always cooked and strained my own berries for the juice and store the juice in the freezer 'til I want to make the jelly. I'm getting tired of processing food, the freezers are full and the garden is empty Guess that is why I bought the bottle of pomegranate juice! I did read somewhere that the dry pectin is better than the liquid for pomegranate jelly. Any advise would be appreciated.

 

[licia]

I've never even heard of pomegranate jelly. I have a few on my counter already and may try that. I love the taste of the fruit and the seeds look like jewels.

 

[Michael in FtW]

Humm ... this sounds interesting. Since it is a concentrate (water has been removed) you will need to add water back to it to get it near the level of the juice from the fresh fruits. From what I could find on pomegranate concentrates 1-qt of concentrate can make 6-8 qts juice - thats a 1 part concentrate to 5-7 parts water mixture. I would follow the instructions on the bottle you have. If you want to intensify the flavor a little, use a little less water.

Also, from what I have been able to find about using reconstituted fruit juices to make jelly - you'll need to use a recipe that uses added pectin (powered or liquid). I did a quick search on Google and found several here - if you don't already have one.

 

[silentmeow]

Michael.....thanks for your help. I couldn't find any instructions on the bottle, Cortas brand from Lebanon. Just checked it again with a spy glass, sometimes these bifocals play tricks! I will just use your ratios and see if the results are edible. Thank you so much for your help. I'll keep you posted. Suzanne

 

[silentmeow]

Sorry that it took so long to get back with the update! I used you ratio Michael and it set up wonderfully. Made three batches of elderberry and one of the pomegranate. The elderberry was fantastic but not sure I would waste the effort on the pom. again. The flavor had no "depth" or richness I guess would be a better word. Live and learn, I will keep trying to find ways to use the pomegranate as it is very healthy.

 

[mistral]

I made pomegranite jelly this fall from my own pomegranites. I juiced them by cutting them like they were oranges and then I juiced them on an electric orange juicer. At first the cloudy juice was somewhat acidic and puckery, but when I let the 1+ gallon of juice settle in the fridge for a couple of days in a clean glass bottle, I could see at least a couple of cups of whitish stuff settled on the bottom of the jar. After settling, the juice lost it's puckery-ness and was a normal, drinkable sweet-sourness and had lost all the puckery flavor. I guess the puckeryness was from the solids that had settled out.

The juice above made a nice clear jelly too, and I did not filter at all! As I am lazy, the settling method I describe above works perfectly for pomegranites. Plus, juicing on an electric orange juicer is much faster!

 

[mudbug]

mistral, I am not a canner or jelly maker, but this sounds delicious. Love the taste of pom juice.