Prickly Pear Apple Jelly Recipe

We still make this jelly from time to time even though it is a little labor intensive. It is really good. I got the recipe from my Dad who was pretty much the king of canning and preserving food. By the way, he was from the era when he didn't call it a "recipe" he called it a "receipt". It makes a beautiful rosy red jelly which would be a nice gift anytime but really pretty at Christmas.

Cactus Pear Jelly

Pick red ripe prickly pear cactus pear apples in about August-September

Remove thorns from prickly pears by burning them off - I do it by holding the pear apples over a candle flame with tongs. Wash and rinse pear apples in the sink several times.

Put about 35 cactus pear apples in a big canning pot with 3 cups water. Boil the pear apples until they are soft, using tongs to turn them occasionally. Remove from water and strain through cheese cloth until you have a quart of juice. (my note- a manual or electric juicer is easier, anything to extract the juice from the cactus pears)

Put juice plus 7 cups of sugar and 1 1/4 cups lemon juice in big canning pan. Bring mixture to a rolling boil that cant be stirred down. Stir mixture often during cooking time.

When rolling boil is reached add 2 pouches Certo fruit pectin and bring to rolling boil again. Stir for 1 minute. Pour jelly into clean boiled canning jars that are still hot. Fill to within 1/2 inch to top of jar and seal with canning lids. Yield 8 eight ounce jars

(note: 4 pounds equals about 35 pears)