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Easy Homemade Pomegranate Jelly Canning Recipe

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During the holiday season, pomegranate is really inexpensive.

In fact, I always see it in the quick-sale bins.

Once I mastered canning pomegranate jelly, I started picking up that cheap fruit every week!

If you’re in a hurry, you can use purchased pomegranate jelly. But once you make it yourself, you’ll never go back.

How to Can Pomegranate Jelly in a Water Bath Canner

This is a no-fuss jelly with a bright color and a tasty zing. It doesn’t take long to make it.

Equipment Needed

Ingredients

  • 5 pounds of whole pomegranates (for a full batch)
  • 1 package pectin
  • 5 cups sugar

Step 1: Wash Your Pomegranates

Ripe pomegranates are a deep red color, and they feel a little bit squishy beneath your fingers.

Wash every piece of fruit by running it under very warm water for a minute or two.

Wash Your Pomegranates
While these pomegranates look clean, they did have a little trapped dirt when I rinsed them.

Pay special attention to the crown of the fruit, as this rough surface may trap dirt and debris. It can fall into your jelly and add grit no one wants.

Step 2: Prepare Your Jars and Lids

I often reuse my jam jars, and while I store them carefully, they can get cracked and chipped in storage.

Damaged jars don’t seal properly. Sometimes, they can fall apart in the canner and ruin an entire batch. It’s heartbreaking.

Prevent this by running your finger across the top of the jar and feel for chips and cracks. Then, wash them in hot water with soap.

I place my jars in the canner and cover them with water. I turn the heat on medium and let my jars simmer while I make my recipe. With this step, I ensure my jars won’t break during processing.

Step 3: Juice Your Pomegranates

I’m working with whole pomegranates, and this step can get a little messy. However, it’s necessary for a good jelly.

Commercial pomegranate juice is loaded with sugar and preservatives that could ruin this recipe.

Start by rolling your pomegranates under moderate pressure on the countertop. You’ll soften the fruit a bit and allow the juices to start flowing.

Hold your softened fruit over your sieve, which is firmly placed inside a bowl. Cut straight down into the blossom end of the fruit, and turn it upside down into the colander.

Squeeze it between your hands, and the juice will pour into the bowl.

I like to get everything out of the fruit, so I take it apart. With a sharp knife, I cut the fruit into quarters.

Then, I use a potato masher and then a fruit muddler to press on the quarters and get all the juice out.

Cut Pomegranate ready for juicing
All of these little pips must be squished to get the juice out. This is a messy job!

I start by muddling inside a colander, as the pips are too big to fit through the holes. Then, I pour the juice through a wire mesh strainer to remove anything left behind.

You can stop when you have 3 ½ cups of juice.

Juice of pomegranates
Completed juice won’t be clear. That’s fine!

Step 4: Measure Your Ingredients

Jelly recipes move quickly, and I hate to scramble. That’s why I take a minute here to measure all of my ingredients, so I can dump and go without measuring.

Ensure that you have a full box of powdered pectin. I like to open it, so it’s ready to go.

Then, place 5 cups of sugar in a bowl for your recipe. I have a bowl with a pourable edge that I use for this purpose. It’s really handy!

Step 5: Cook Your Juice

Place your pomegranate juice in a stainless steel pan, and add the entire box of pectin.

With your whisk, stir in the pectin until it completely dissolves. The liquid should be completely clear at this stage.

With the heat on medium, warm up the juice until it boils. Keep stirring the entire time so the juice won’t stick to the bottom of the pan.

Remember that natural juice is filled with sugar, so it can burn and stick.

Step 6: Add Sugar

This is why measuring your sugar in advance is smart. At this step, you’ll pour all of the sugar into the pan all at once.

Keep the heat on medium, and keep stirring until the mixture comes to a rolling boil. Keep cooking for one minute while constantly stirring.

Stirring boiling pomegranate juice
This is what a rolling boil looks like. Notice that my hand is blurry. I’m stirring hard!

Step 7: Test for Gel

A gel test ensures that your jelly will look like a condiment (not like a drink) inside your jars. It’s a very important step you won’t want to skip.

Place a cold spoon inside your cooked jelly and hold it up out of the juice. It should drip off the edge of the spoon, but it should also be thick enough that it sort of hangs off the edge.

When a drop seems to hang off the edge of the spoon, you’re done. If it doesn’t want to hang, keep cooking and check again in a minute.

Doing the gel test on pomegranate juice
My jelly has passed the gel test at this point.

Step 8: Fill Your Jars

With your jar lifter, remove your jars from the canner. Then, with your canning funnel, fill each jar with the prepared jelly. Leave ¼ inch of headspace.

You won’t need to remove trapped air, as the jelly will be completely liquid.

Filling jars with freshly made pomegranate jelly
Fill the jars quickly, so the jelly doesn’t harden in the pan.

While the canning funnel will protect you from spilling too much, you may experience a little splatter.

Removing it is critical, as it could keep your lids from sticking. Dampen a paper towel and run it across the top of every jar.

With your lid lifter, remove the lids from the saucepan. Place a lid on each jar, and place the rings on. Screw the rings down until they’re finger-tight.

Step 9: Process Your Jars

Processing jars in a waterbath canner

Place your filled jars inside the canner and ensure they’re covered with an inch of water. That water should be boiling already, but if it’s not, turn up the heat until it boils.

Process your jars for 10 minutes. Adjust for your elevation as needed.

Step 10: Let Your Jelly Rest

When processing is complete, turn off the heat and remove the lid from your canner. Leave the jars submerged for 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes, use your jar lifter to take the jars from the canner. Place them on a cutting board, and allow them to rest for 24 hours.

They will stabilize, so the lids will seal. And as they cool, you may notice that the jelly will harden a bit.

Freshly canned pomegranate jelly
Remember how the juice looked opaque before canning? The jelly is clear when it’s done.

Step 11: Label and Store Your Jars

After 24 hours, remove the rings from your jars and push on the lids. They should be firmly affixed and not pop when you press on them.

Write the date on each lid. I like to put the rings back on the jars at this point, as it makes them easier to stack. However, this is optional.

How Long Does Homemade Pomegranate Jelly Last?

The USDA says all home-canned goods should be eaten within one year. You should check them before eating, regardless of the date.

Check the lids again before you use your canned goods. The lid should be hard to remove, and the contents should be clear and free of anything like mold.

Ideas for Using Canned Pomegranate Jelly

I always have pomegranate jelly on hand, as it’s really popular in my household. These are my favorite ways to use it:

  • Spread pomegranate jelly on toast over a layer of fresh butter.
  • Upgrade plain PB&J sandwiches with pomegranate jelly.
  • With a whisk, mix jelly with olive oil for a quick salad dressing.
  • Add pomegranate jelly to vinegar for a meat marinade.
  • Stir jelly into cottage cheese for a zesty side dish.
  • Drizzle jelly over cooked green beans.
  • Mix with yogurt and surprise your friends at breakfast.
  • Serve jelly with several types of cheese.
  • Use pomegranate jelly as a finishing sauce for cheesecake or ice cream.
Easy & Delicious Homemade Pomegranate Jelly

Easy Homemade Pomegranate Jelly Canning Recipe

Capture the vibrant, tangy sweetness of pomegranate in jelly form! This quick and flavorful jelly is a perfect gift or pantry staple for the holidays. Once you’ve made it, you’ll never go back to store-bought.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Canning Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Course: Condiment, Jelly
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Jelly, Pomegranate, Water Bath Canning
Servings: 6 8 oz Jars

Ingredients

  • 5 Pounds Whole Pomegranates
  • 1 Package Pectin
  • 5 Cups Sugar

Instructions

Wash Your Pomegranates:

  • Rinse your pomegranates under warm water to remove dirt and debris, especially from the crown.

Prepare Your Jars and Lids:

  • Inspect your jars for chips or cracks. Wash them thoroughly with hot, soapy water.
  • Place jars in the canner, cover with water, and heat to a simmer.

Juice Your Pomegranates:

  • Roll the pomegranates under moderate pressure to soften them.
  • Cut them into quarters and use a potato masher or fruit muddler to extract juice into a colander placed over a bowl. Strain the juice with a fine-mesh strainer.
  • Collect 3 ½ cups of pomegranate juice.

Measure Your Ingredients:

  • Measure out 5 cups of sugar and open your pectin package. Have them ready for the next steps.

Cook Your Juice:

  • In a stainless steel pan, combine the pomegranate juice and pectin. Stir until the pectin dissolves.
  • Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.

Add Sugar:

  • Once the juice is boiling, add the 5 cups of sugar all at once.
  • Stir and bring to a rolling boil. Let it cook for 1 minute while constantly stirring.

Test for Gel:

  • Test the jelly’s consistency by placing a cold spoon in the mixture. Lift it up and check if the jelly drips off the spoon, but thickens and hangs slightly. If it’s too runny, continue boiling and retest.

Fill Your Jars:

  • Using a jar lifter, remove the jars from the canner.
  • Using a funnel, fill each jar with the hot jelly, leaving ¼ inch of headspace.
  • Wipe the rims with a damp paper towel to remove any jelly that could prevent proper sealing.

Process Your Jars:

  • Place the jars back in the canner and ensure they’re covered by at least 1 inch of boiling water.
  • Process for 10 minutes. Adjust processing time for your altitude if necessary.

Let Your Jelly Rest:

  • Once processed, turn off the heat and let the jars rest in the canner for 5 minutes.
  • Use a jar lifter to carefully remove the jars and place them on a cutting board to cool for 24 hours.

Label and Store Your Jars:

  • After 24 hours, check the lids. If they’re securely sealed, remove the rings and label each jar with the date.
  • Store in a cool, dark place. The jelly is best within a year.

Notes

  • Juicing Tips: For maximum juice yield, roll the pomegranates to soften them before cutting.
  • Gel Test: Don’t skip the gel test! It ensures your jelly thickens properly.
  • Shelf Life: Homemade jelly is good for up to a year, but always check seals before consuming.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
How To Make & Can Pomegranate Jelly In A Water Bath Canner
June Gardner

June Gardner

June is a food preservation expert who loves turning her summer garden’s bounty into homemade meals year-round. For her, there’s nothing more satisfying than crafting a winter lasagne with tomato sauce made from plants she nurtured from seed. With a passion for food security, June has mastered water-based canning and uses her advanced dehydrating skills to savor the sweetness of summer, even in winter.