Readers uncork wine jelly recipes

As might be expected – no surprise here – several Forum readers responded swiftly to a recent request for wine jelly recipes.

For starters, we hear from Stanwood reader Jean Anderton, “I tried this wine jelly in wineglasses as Christmas gifts. Very pretty and easy. It’s maybe worth a try for George Hamasaki.”

Years ago, these wine jellies in wineglasses were hot sellers at various Christmas bazaars. And a delight to get as a gift. Memorable on the table, too. In fact, I remember when my husband’s beloved Aunt Genevieve (the one who taught school in a little old one-room schoolhouse in Paterson) set a few stemmed glasses of the stuff out on a Thanksgiving morning breakfast table.

Directions for making Anderton’s paraffin-sealed wineglass version (circa 1979) are included and would probably be safe to give as gifts if made at the last moment, kept refrigerated, and eaten within three weeks. For longer storage, the jellies can be sealed in half-pint or pint jars, directions for which are also included.

One more thing – you’ll notice one of the recipes calls for liquid pectin, which may not be readily available on supermarket shelves.

Wine jelly

3cups sugar

2cups wine or pop wine (see note)

3ounces (half a 6-ounce bottle) liquid fruit pectin

1bar paraffin, melted

Snowdrift paraffin (directions follow at end of column)

Measure sugar and wine into top of double boiler; mix well. Place over rapidly boiling water and stir until sugar is dissolved, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and immediately stir in pectin and mix well. Skim off foam, if necessary. Pour quickly into hot, scalded wineglasses with a metal spoon in each wineglass to prevent glass from breaking. Fill to within 1/8 inch from top of glasses. Cover at once with 1/8 inch of hot paraffin.

After paraffin on wineglasses has hardened, top with snowdrift paraffin. OR see directions at end of column for filling jars. Cooled paraffin-topped jars must be stored in the refrigerator and eaten within three weeks. Makes six glasses.

Note: Suggested wines are sherry, rose or burgundy; pop wines include grape, apple and strawberry.

Honey-orange wine jelly

1 1/2cups sauterne

2teaspoons shredded orange peel

1/2cup orange juice

2tablespoons lemon juice

2tablespoons (half of 13/4 ounce package) powdered fruit pectin

3cups honey

1bar paraffin, melted

Snowdrift paraffin (directions follow at end of column)

In large saucepan or Dutch oven, mix sauterne, orange peel, orange juice, lemon juice and fruit pectin. Bring to full rolling boil. Stir in honey; return to boiling. Boil 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off foam with metal spoon. Place a metal spoon in a hot sterilized wineglass. Quickly pour hot jelly into glass to 1/8 inch from top. Remove spoon. Cover with hot paraffin. Repeat with 5 more glasses. After paraffin on glasses has hardened, top with snowdrift paraffin. OR see directions at end of column for filling jars. Cooled paraffin-topped jars must be stored in the refrigerator and eaten within 3 weeks.

Makes six glasses.

Snowdrift paraffin

Melt 2 bars paraffin over boiling water. Cool until paraffin becomes cloudy and starts to solidify. Quickly whip with rotary beater or electric hand mixer, until paraffin is foamy and starts to harden. (Work quickly. If paraffin becomes too hard, remelt and start over again.) Spoon over the thin paraffin layer on wineglasses of jelly. Makes enough for 6 wineglasses.

Filling jars

Quickly ladle jelly into clean half-pint or pint jars, leaving 1/8-inch head room. Wipe jar rims and threads with a clean, damp cloth. Cover quickly with flat lids and screw bands on snugly.

To use the inversion method of sealing jars: Turn jars upside down for 5 minutes. Turn upright.

After jars are cool, check seals. Lids should be concave and stay that way when lightly pressed. If the lid pops up when pressed, the jar is not sealed. Either reprocess by removing the jelly, then filling and sealing again, or let jelly set for 24 hours, then refrigerate and use within 3 weeks.

If you prefer the water bath method recommended by the USDA, place sealed jars on a rack in a canner or large saucepot of boiling water. The water should cover the jars by 1 to 2 inches. Cover the canner or saucepot and bring water back to a boil. Boil 5 minutes for 8-ounce jars; boil 10 minutes for pint jars.

Remove jars from the canner or saucepot and let stand to cool. Check seals.

Properly sealed jars may be stored for up to one year. Once opened, refrigerate and use within 3 weeks.

The next Forum will appear in Friday’s Time Out section.