Pomegranate Jelly – Mrs. Eunice Mae (Olson) Widmer
Typed by O. Kris Widmer, her son November 14, 2020
Open Kettle Method
This recipe has been in use making jelly in our family for 40+ years.
It started in La Sierra/Riverside, using the fruit from 3 backyard trees, from trees near my dad’s office and anywhere else we could get them. She used to do it herself alone, and then Andrea L. (Widmer) Barker joined her, giving away the beautiful jelly to friends and work associates. Later, the Barker Bunch (David, Kristine and Jonathan) would help, along with anyone who was visiting their house at the time of production.
Eunice would always read a passage from the Bible about how pomegranates were on the bottom of the high priests garments in the wilderness tabernacle, and then she would say a prayer before the jelly was boiled, thanking God for the “holy juice” and asking a blessing on the process of making it and on every receiver…and asking that every jar would hermetically seal.
The Barker/Widmer jelly factory prepares to make 6 batches at a time, yielding 36 jars of jelly at a time. Any foam or dregs from any batch is put in a container, refrigerated and eaten as “first fruits” in the days ahead.
Enjoy
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3 ½ Cups Pomegranate Juice
Current #1 Method of Obtaining Juice:
Purchasing it by the gallon from any supplier you can find.
Current #2 Method of Obtaining Juice:
We have a Manual Hand Crank Press Juicer…used for oranges, lemons.
Wash fruit in hot water in the sink or bin.
Cut fruit into halves or sections to fit in juicer and press.
Watch for rotten, moldy sections…and cut them out or discard whole fruit.
Pour this juice through strainer to catch seeds, pulp, etc.
Put into recycled juice containers or gallon jugs.
Refrigerate until “jelly day.”
¼ Cup Lemon Juice (Fresh Squeezed)
Wash Lemons in some warm water
2020 we juiced 30 large lemons, yielding 3 Quarts
We figure on 2 quarts for annual production.
Turn the left over juice and pomegranate juice into pink lemonade
1 pkg (1 ¾ oz) of powdered pectin (Sure Jell)
4 ¼ Cups Granulated Sugar (It is jelly after all!)
6 Jelly Jars (8 oz) and 6 lids and rings per batch.
Kettles
Tongs, Hotpads, Towels, etc. as needed
Metal Spoon for Skimming Foam Off Cooked Jelly
Preparations
Wash jars and lids/rings in dishwasher.
We put lids/rings in a mesh bag in the top rack.
Set up a smaller kettle of water on a low boil
as a hot bath for the clean rings/lids to be hot and ready.
Place metal skimmer spoon in this water bath to sterilize it too.
Measure out sugar into bowls so they are at the ready
Measure out lemon juice into small bowls so they are at the ready
Unbox Sure Jell packages…so they are at the ready.
Heat oven to 225 deg F
Put jelly jars (6 per batch) on baking sheets and place in oven.
Put 6 lids/rings in the water bath, when you add the sugar.
Process
1. In a LARGE kettle measure in pomegranate juice.
(Large kettle prevents boil overs)
2 Add lemon juice and powdered pectin, stir to dissolve and place on stove to cook.
3. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly.
4. Add sugar, stirring constantly, and bring again to a rolling boil for 2 full minutes.
5. Remove from heat and skim off any foam into a container to sample soon.
6. Remove hot jars from oven to a heat proof counter and…
7. Pour or Ladle Jelly into the jars, leaving ¼ inch of “head space” at the top.
8. Seal with rings/lids from the hot water bath.
9. Place filled jars on a table (protecting surface) under a large towel, to allow slow cooling (Probably Overnight)
10. Listen to the lids as they pop/seal. Yay!
11. Wipe off any sticky residue from the cooled jars, and rebox: store in a cool, dark place.
12. Eat on anything or in anything you would use jelly.
13. Makes a beautiful gift to the discerning jelly connoisseur.
Jalapeno Version
Chop 6 jalapeno peppers into LARGE PIECES and remove seeds.
Boil with Pomegranate Juice/Lemon Juice for 10 minutes.
Strain Pepper Pieces Out
Return to Stove…Add Pectin and Return to a Boil
Add Sugar, Boil for 2 minutes…and follow the above from there.
