Happy Hour: Make Your Own Wine Jelly

Looking for another way to integrate wine into your daily routine? For some DIY advice, we turned to special projects manager Anna Mowry, who makes and jars her own gem-toned wine jellies. Follow this simple recipe, adapted from Canning for a New Generation by Liana Krissoff, and you’ll have a unique spread that’s perfect on toast, with cheese, or even in your morning oatmeal. It also makes for a sweet hostess gift for all those impending summer barbecues. 

Yield: 5 half-pint jars

Pectin stock:
3 pounds tart apples, such as Granny Smith
6 cups water

Jelly:
One 750-milliliter bottle wine
3 cups pectin stock
2 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice

To make the pectin stock, stem and quarter the apples. (Do not peel or remove the cores.) Place the apples and water in a large saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Boil for 30–40 minutes. Strain the contents of the saucepan through a large chinois or fine-mesh sieve, but do not press down on the solids. Once all of the liquid has been strained, you should have about 5 cups. (This can take several hours.) Transfer the stock to a clean saucepan and reduce to 3 cups, about 20 minutes.

To make the jelly, heat a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat and add the wine. Bring to a simmer and reduce to 2 cups. Stir in the stock, sugar, and lemon juice and raise the heat to high. Bring to a boil and use a mesh skimmer to remove bubbles that form on the surface. Continue to boil until the jelly reaches 220°F on an instant-read thermometer. Funnel the jelly into hot, sterilized jars, seal, and process in a hot-water bath.

Note: any type of wine that you enjoy will work great in this recipe. Anna has tried rosé, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Champagne.