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Thursday, September 18, 2008

Prickly Pear Cactus Jelly

It's prickly pear fruit season here. I really enjoy spending the day gathering the fruit. The jelly is a bonus. :)







I wash the fruit, remove any dead blossoms or thorns by using a brush or even paper towels.


I steam the fruit until tender...with just enough water too keep them from sticking to the bottom of the pan.


I crush the fruit and strain the juice....


I strain the juice through cheesecloth...


For 2 1/2 cups of juice you need
1 pkg of powdered pectin
3 TBs of lemon juice
3 1/2 cups of sugar
red food coloring (optional)

I add the pectin to the juice...bring to a boil stirring constantly...


Add the lemon juice, food coloring and sugar, bring to a hard boil. Boil for 3 minutes stirring constantly.



Remove from heat, skim off foam and fill sterilized jars...
Process in water bath for 10 minutes...




Nothing better than a hot biscuit topped with some prickly pear cactus jelly......
The best part is enjoying the jelly through out the winter months. Each bite reminds me of summer and the fun I had gathering the fruit. :)








2 comments:

SmithGang said...

This looks amazing! I love making jelly just never knew you could make it from cactus have a great day.

cowgirl said...

Thank you SmithGang! I hope you give it a try sometime. Thanks for stopping by too, hope you have a nice week. :)