This is one of my favorite homemade gifts to give at Christmas time. The rich red color of the jelly presents gorgeously in a fluted glass, sealed with paraffin that looks like foam on the top.
Cranberry Jelly
3 1/2 cups cranberry juice cocktail
1 (1 3/4 oz.) package powdered fruit pectin
4 cups sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
In 8-10 quart kettle or Dutch oven combine cranberry juice and pectin. Bring to a full rolling boil. Stir in sugar. Bring again to full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice.
Quickly skim off foam using a metal spoon. Pour at once into hot, sterilized half-pint jars or glasses. Seal the jars with metal lids and screwbands; seal the glasses with paraffin or Snowdrift Paraffin (see recipe below). Makes 6 half-pints.
Snowdrift Paraffin
First Layer: Melt 2 blocks of paraffin over, but not touching rapidly boiling water in an old double boiler. Using a wide-mouthed funnel, pour hot fruit mixture into sterilized glasses to within 1/4-inch of top. Spoon a thin layer of melted paraffin over the surface of the jelly or jam to seal out air. (Make sure the layer is about 1/16 inch thick. Too thick a layer of paraffin will cause the jelly or jam to leak around the edges of the paraffin. Hold the hot glasses, one at a time, with a pot holder and rotate them slowly so the paraffin will cling to the sides of the glasses. Prick any air bubbles. Let stand till paraffin hardens.
Second Layer: Melt 2 additional bars of paraffin in top of the double boiler over, but not touching, rapidly boiling water. Cool till paraffin become cloudy and starts to solidify. Quickly whip with electric mixer till foamy and slightly stiff. Work fast. (If paraffin solidifies, remelt and start again.) Spoon foamy paraffin over layer of hard paraffin. Cool till set. Covers 6 glasses.
Cranberry Jelly
3 1/2 cups cranberry juice cocktail
1 (1 3/4 oz.) package powdered fruit pectin
4 cups sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
In 8-10 quart kettle or Dutch oven combine cranberry juice and pectin. Bring to a full rolling boil. Stir in sugar. Bring again to full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice.
Quickly skim off foam using a metal spoon. Pour at once into hot, sterilized half-pint jars or glasses. Seal the jars with metal lids and screwbands; seal the glasses with paraffin or Snowdrift Paraffin (see recipe below). Makes 6 half-pints.
Snowdrift Paraffin
First Layer: Melt 2 blocks of paraffin over, but not touching rapidly boiling water in an old double boiler. Using a wide-mouthed funnel, pour hot fruit mixture into sterilized glasses to within 1/4-inch of top. Spoon a thin layer of melted paraffin over the surface of the jelly or jam to seal out air. (Make sure the layer is about 1/16 inch thick. Too thick a layer of paraffin will cause the jelly or jam to leak around the edges of the paraffin. Hold the hot glasses, one at a time, with a pot holder and rotate them slowly so the paraffin will cling to the sides of the glasses. Prick any air bubbles. Let stand till paraffin hardens.
Second Layer: Melt 2 additional bars of paraffin in top of the double boiler over, but not touching, rapidly boiling water. Cool till paraffin become cloudy and starts to solidify. Quickly whip with electric mixer till foamy and slightly stiff. Work fast. (If paraffin solidifies, remelt and start again.) Spoon foamy paraffin over layer of hard paraffin. Cool till set. Covers 6 glasses.
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