I made jelly!! Woohoo!!

**Newsnerd68** · 09-06-2005, 04:28 PM

I made homemade grape jelly for the first time today! I can't help but pat myself on the back.

It was amazing how many grapes it took to make a relatively small amount of jelly. The grapes came from my mom's back yard (she rents, so they were there long before she got there). I ended up with 4cups of jelly out of I don't know how many pounds of grapes, which yielded 8 cups of juice.

It took me several hours to make it and somehow I cracked 2 canning jars with hot water.

No wonder sweets were such a treat back in the old days!!

**Darlene** · 09-06-2005, 07:41 PM

Good for you for taking the plunge!

I've never done it myself but know bunches of the other ladies in the village have done this many many times and I'm sure you'll be hearing from them too.
Woohoo!

**pkellyc** · 09-06-2005, 09:44 PM

A lot of work but a wonderful reward. Congrats!

**Kimberlina** · 09-07-2005, 11:49 AM

Great! I remember you asking about it a couple weeks ago. Glad you were able to do it. It will get easier the more you do it, I promise.

I've been lucky- I've never cracked a jar, even though I didn't have a real canner until a couple years ago. Your jars probably smashed into each other and cracked....With a rack, that won't happen, but it isn't worth the investment until you have done a lot of canning and know you want to continue. ( I was lucky too, to inherit a water canner, rack, and tons of different types of jars/lids from a friend- they bought their neighbor's house and gave me all the equipment in the basement.)

I actually canned up strawberry rhubarb jam, apple mint jelly, and salsa this weekend. Still have my grape to do- I need to go pick some today, actually, for a friend at work. Hope I have enough for both of us!

Congrats on your first jelly!