CANNING MULBERRY JELLY


If you have a mulberry tree, you know just how quickly those little berries can ripen. Turning them into homemade mulberry jelly is one of my favorite ways to put the harvest to good use.

Mulberry jelly has a beautiful deep color and a sweet, slightly tart berry flavor. Spread it over warm biscuits or toast, and you can enjoy a little taste of mulberry season long after the berries are gone.


JELLY INGREDIENTS 

  • 3½ cups prepared mulberry juice
  • 1 box powdered fruit pectin
  • 5 cups granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup lemon juice

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Sort and wash the mulberries and remove the stems. Crush the berries and place them in a large saucepan. Heat slowly until the juice begins to flow. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
  2. Transfer the cooked berries to a jelly bag and extract the juice. Measure exactly 3½ cups mulberry juice.
For step-by-step instructions on preparing fruit and extracting the juice for jelly, see my complete guide to making jelly from fresh fruit.



  1. Pour the juice into a large saucepan. If you used all fully ripe berries, add ¼ cup lemon juice. Stir in the powdered pectin.
  2. Bring the mixture quickly to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly.
  3. Add all 5 cups of sugar at once. Return to a full rolling boil and boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
  4. Remove from the heat and skim off any foam.
  5. Ladle immediately into clean, hot half-pint or pint canning jars, leaving ¼-inch headspace. Wipe the rims and apply the lids and bands according to the manufacturer's directions.
  6. Process in a boiling-water canner for 10 minutes.  Adjust for elevation if needed.





Print Recipe

MULBERRY JELLY

Yield: 5 half pints







INGREDIENTS
  • 3½ cups prepared mulberry juice
  • 1 box powdered fruit pectin
  • 5 cups granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup lemon juice
 

DIRECTIONS
  1. Sort and wash the mulberries and remove the stems. Crush the berries and place them in a large saucepan. Heat slowly until the juice begins to flow. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
  2. Transfer the cooked berries to a jelly bag and extract the juice. Measure exactly 3½ cups mulberry juice.
  3. Pour the juice into a large saucepan. If you used all fully ripe berries, add ¼ cup lemon juice. Stir in the powdered pectin.
  4. Bring the mixture quickly to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly.
  5. Add all 5 cups of sugar at once. Return to a full rolling boil and boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
  6. Remove from the heat and skim off any foam.
  7. Ladle immediately into clean, hot half-pint or pint canning jars, leaving ¼-inch headspace. Wipe the rims and apply the lids and bands according to the manufacturer's directions.
  8. Process in a boiling-water canner for 10 minutes.  Adjust for elevation if needed.