Black Raspberry Jelly

                                                                         

Black Raspberries are one of my favorite fruits & my berries were ready today! I made a double batch of this wonderful jelly to share with you! Jelly is not hard to make so give it a try!

8 Cups of Fresh Picked Black Raspberries washed & left to drain dry.

8 Cups Granulated Sugar

2 Teaspoons Vanilla

2 Boxes Sure Jell 

Plastic Containers to freeze your jelly!

Take your washed berries in batches of about 2 cups each & mash them & straining them through a sieve. I have a fine mesh metal colander that is perfect. You could puree the berries in a food processor & then squeeze the juice out through cheese cloth. My way is less messy. I ended up with 6 cups of juice with fine pulp, it was what I wanted. Now place the juice & pulp in a very deep & heavy sauce pan & begin to heat on medium heat. In a separate bowl put in your sugar & Sure Jell together & mix well. Go back to your  fruit cooking on the stove. Bring to a boil, add the vanilla & stir. Now dump in your sugar/Sure Jell mixture & stir! Bring heat up to high & bring mixture to a full rolling boil stirring the entire time. This will foam up very high in the pot & this is what you want. Once it is cooking at that full rolling boil, that is a boiling that you cannot stop by stirring, time it for 1 full minute, stir the entire time. Once the minute is up remove from the heat & let cool. Once it is cooled to a very warm skim off the top foam layer, either eat it, it is yummy or discard it, I usually eat some of it! Let the jelly cool to warm then spoon into containers & put some in the refrigerator & freeze the remainder. I ended up with about 7 cups of jelly! HEAVENLY SPREAD it is! The vanilla just adds extra oomph to the jelly & I love that extra layer of flavor! NOW if your jelly does not set up or gel so to speak, do not dispare, You have a wonderful raspberry sauce to use for desserts or as a base for salad dressings etc! I have never had a batch not set up so I never had to think about it but just in case, do not throw it out! Another thought, the jelly will be runny at first but once cooled it will set up nicely! ENJOY!