Monday, December 20, 2010

Jellies and Jams


Another of my holiday to-do's was to make a few different jellies and jams for gifts.  I was able to put a big check mark on that this week, making three different wine jellies and a sweet onion jam.  I may still sneak in a caramel apple jam I've been wanting to try, but this is a good start. 


The pink is a white zinfandel, the pale yellow is a Minnesota-made Columbine wine, and the gold with flecks of pepper is the sweet onion.  I also made a batch of a Minnesota-made red wine jelly.  I've made a lot of jelly, but all of these were firsts for me.  The wine jellies taste like a grown-up grape jelly and the onion is oh.so.good. with its sweet and spicy vibe. 


They looked so lovely sitting on the table today that I got a little photo-happy.  And those sweet little covers?  My friend Sonia made those, aren't they wonderful?




As the sun went down, they were like a little stained glass window on my table.  So pretty.


This is the recipe I used for the wine jellies.   This is the recipe I used for the sweet onion jam.  Though this recipe calls for no-sugar pectin, I never have good luck with it.  I prefer regular pectin for my recipes.

What about you?  Do you have a favorite, unusual jam or jelly flavor you can share with me?   I'd love to try some new ones. 

Happy Monday, everyone.

12 comments:

Marilyn said...

Those are so pretty, all dressed up for Christmas!! I love it when the sun shines through..well, anything really! The only thing I really like is orange marmalade...but it has to be with the bitter oranges...like the Scottish marmalade I grew up on.
I think the onion one sounds interesting...keep seeing pork chops!!

julochka said...

really pretty. i wish i'd made such a thing for christmas instead of feeling this awful panic that i feel about the presents here at the last minute.

your white zin looks a lot like the rhubarb jelly i made last spring.

can you point to some recipes for these or post them? it would be fun to try the wines. :-)

Tara said...

I am not a jelly or jam maker myself but I do enjoy looking at your little pots of prettiness.

Unknown said...

I am trying the wine jellies.. soooo beautiful! hoping our Washington wine will be as yummy as yours looks ~:0)

Unknown said...

Your jars look so cute. I did not make jam or jelly this year. Berries were few and the weather did chaos for gardens.

RattleFox said...

If you want a no-sugar pectin, try Pomona's Universal Pectin, found in most health food stores. It has a different gelling agent and yields a jelly like Polaner Allfruit. I agree the Sure-jell no sugar is Gross!

I love making jelly! http://www.razzledazzlerecipes.com has some great recipes

Margie Oomen said...

i will vouch for the pomona pectin !!!
I love how these look and with the special sonia hats, all is well in the world of jellies, I'd say.
I am not a big jelly fan. I LOVE raspberry jam, only the homemade , after being freshly picked variety. I like the texture and fresh taste of freezer jams. Sorry to be so dull on the jam front.

Vintage Tracy said...

I've never tried jam or jelly, but these are so pretty I might just have to!

Tricia said...

So pretty and even though onions don't always agree with me - that one sounded like the one I would like the best. My mom didn't make jelly but she did make a mean home-made pear preserves that has not been repeated since she died. Oh I so miss my Mama's cooking. The lids are lovely as is everything Sonia makes. Love her blog too.

Marsaille said...

I am going to have to give this a whirl. How wonderful!

Lisa at lil fish studios said...

Marilyn, I bet the onion jelly would be delish on pork chops! Must try that.

Thank you RattleFox and Margie for the pectin recommendation. I'll have to see if I can find that around here.

Jane - oh pears...I love pears. My great-grandfather had a tree when I was growing up and I think I have yet to taste a pear as delicious as the ones we picked from it as kids.

Thanks so much for stopping by, everyone.

Sonia / COZY MEMORIES said...

very funny that I will be gifting (edible) presents this year, wrapped with a red gingham top too ;-) These jams & jellies look terrific, and so yummy too !! I also love the way they look in the sunshine, soooo pretty !
thank you so much for the kindness, my friend. You are the sweetest. <3
rhubarb & strawberry jam is one of my favorite. Apple & raspberries jelly too. But they are not really unusual.
oxox

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