Apple Cinnamon Jelly Recipe & Canning

Wash jars, rims, and lids in warm, soapy water. Fill the canner with enough water to cover the jars while they are standing up. Boil jars and rims for at least 10 minutes before filling them with jelly. Do not boil lids, as this can compromise their sealing ability.

I used Cosmic Crisp and Honeycrisp apples because we grow them and love their flavor, use what you like. Remove the stems from the apples and discard them. Dice the apples, with the peel and all, only removing the seeds and blossom ends.

Place all the diced apples into a large stainless-steel pot. To make jelly, heat 3 1/2 cups of diced apples with 3 1/2 cups of water. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 20-25 minutes, ensuring not to lose too much liquid, as it's essential for the jelly.

Use a wire mesh strainer to strain the diced apples, gently pressing on the pieces with a ladle or spoon to extract their juices without mashing them.

Pour 4 cups of the extracted apple juice back into a clean stainless-steel pot (using aluminum can cause a metallic taste). Add in 6 tablespoons of bottled lemon juice. Lemon juice plays a key role in ensuring jelly is safe by increasing its acidity, which prevents harmful bacteria like Clostridium botulinum from growing. While apples are naturally acidic, their acidity can vary based on ripeness and variety. The older the apples are, the less acid they have. Adding lemon juice guarantees a safe pH level for water bath canning. Bottled lemon juice is preferred because of its consistent and standardized acidity, which is essential for food safety as well as helping the jelly to set up.

Heat the apple juice until it reaches a boil. Gradually stir in 7 tablespoons of powdered pectin, making sure it fully dissolves. Bring the mixture back to a full rolling boil, then add 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg, and 5 cups of granulated sugar. Bring the mixture back to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly for one minute. Ensure the sugar is fully dissolved and maintain a hard boil throughout the entire minute. Quickly skim off any foam with a spoon and remove from heat.

Pour the hot jelly into hot, sterilized jars, leaving ¼ inch of headspace. Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean, damp paper towel, then secure the lids and bands, carefully tightening them with your fingertips.

Carefully lower the jars into the boiling water bath canner, ensuring they are spaced slightly apart from each other and the canner walls. The water should cover the tops of the jars by 1-2 inches. Place the lid on the canner, and remember not to start timing until the water is fully boiling and up to temperature. For pints and half-pint jars, process for 10 minutes at elevations of 0-1,000 feet, 15 minutes at elevations of 1,001-6,000 feet, and 25 minutes above 6,000 feet. When the time is up, turn off the heat and, if possible, remove the canner from the heat source. Take off the lid and let the jars sit undisturbed in the water for 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes, carefully remove jars from the water bath and place on a kitchen towel-lined countertop. Some jars can take hours to seal; however, most will seal within 30 minutes from being removed from the canner, and some may even seal during the water bath canning process. Leave the jars undisturbed for at least 12 hours. Ensure that all jars are sealed by inspecting the tops, as they should be sucked in. If any jars don't seal, refrigerate them. Wipe the jars with a damp towel. Write the contents and date on the sealed jars and store in a cool, dry place for up to a year.

Enjoy!