I have to say that there is something romantic about jelly. Little bits of summer captured in glass jars displaying bright colors. The almost overwhelming sense of calm that ensues on a cold winter day when you curl up with a hot cup of tea, toast covered in brilliant melting jelly and a good book is bliss.
Golden Chokecherries from North Dakota
Not to mention, the idea of preserving delicious ephemeral fruit or berries is also very pleasing. Often fruits and berries come out in such abundance for such a limited amount of time. Seeing them overwhelm the markets can be bitter sweet because you know it is just fleeting. It’s nice to be able to preserve them and hold on to them for just a bit longer.
So, with the allure of making jelly hanging overhead I’ve tried it a couple of times. Even with the centuries of heritage behind the making of jelly it is quite an art form to achieving the perfect set. Really! It’s harder than it sounds. Too little sugar and you end up with syrup, too much and you can bounce your jelly off the floor. Sounds simple enough but don’t forget all fruit has a different concentration of sugar, so the recipe you have that works for apples might not work for strawberries. But it’s all worth it when, after the picking, the washing, the boiling, and the boiling again, you pull out of your oversized canning pot a marvelous little piece of summer.