Watermelon Jelly Recipe
Ever wondered if you can make watermelon jelly? Well, the answer is yes, and you just found the perfect recipe! We combined watermelon, fresh mint, lemon juice, and a dash of black pepper to create a preserve that will brighten your pantry and capture the essence of summer in a jar.
Ingredients
- 8 cups cubed watermelon
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 packet 1.75 ounces powdered fruit pectin
- 2 fresh mint leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper optional
Instructions
Prepare Watermelon and Mint Juice:
- Cut the watermelon into chunks, removing the rind.
- Use a food mill to puree the watermelon and remove the seeds.
- Strain the puree through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth to extract the juice. Set aside
- In a food processor, combine 1/2 cup of watermelon juice and all of the mint leaves. Puree until the mint leaves are finely blended.
- Strain the mint puree through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth to extract all the juices. Add to the already extracted watermelon juice.
- Add a dash of black pepper, all of the lemon juice and ½ cup sugar and mix everything.
Cooking the Watermelon Jelly:
- Bring the watermelon jelly mixture to a boil over medium heat. Stir often to dissolve the sugar. Remove the foam forming on top.
- Once the jelly is boiling, lower the heat to medium-low and continue cooking for 50 minutes.
- Mix sugar and pectin in a clean, dry bowl or cup. Gradually add the entire pectin-sugar mix to the cooking jelly and stir well till sugar and pectin dissolve completely in the cooking jelly. Increase the heat to medium and cook for 10 more minutes. We strongly recommend the chilled plate test to make sure that your jelly is ready. If your jelly is runny, add 5 more minutes to the cooking time.
- Once the jelly is ready, pour it into sterilized jars and process it according to your preferred canning method. *If you have difficulty setting your jelly, you can briefly put it into a fridge to help with the gelling process.