Little Ivy Cakes

Simple Wild Apple And Vanilla Bean Jelly

A couple weeks ago when I  made apple pie I was wondering what I could do with all the pretty left over apple peels. I found an awesome simple apple jelly recipe that can really be used for ANY kind of jelly you want to make. These kinds of recipes always excite me because I can make tons of different jellies and it's so easy to make. The only thing you may have to invest in is a candy thermometer. It's worth it though and you can find one that is decently priced.

Here's how it's done.

STEP 1: Boil peels and cores from 4-5 apples in 3-4 cups of water for 15 minutes.
I used the wild apples from my tree and one Red Delicious I had on hand.
On my second batch of jelly(which was more planned) I used mostly Granny Smith for a nice tart flavor. And then a couple Red Delicious for color.

STEP 2: Strain all peels and cores back into your boiling pot, leaving you with about 2 cups of pretty, rosy-pink broth.

STEP 3: Stir in 1 cup sugar, 1/4 cup lemon or lime juice, 1 tsp vanilla bean paste (for looks), 1 tbs vanilla extract, and 1 tsp cinnamon or your favorite pie spice mix. Let boil until your candy thermometer reaches 220F. It takes about 20 minutes.

STEP 4: Let cool 5 minutes, pour into canning jar leaving about 3/4 of an inch at the top and let completely cool. Place lid on jar, and store in fridge or learn how to properly seal it.

THE END!