I don’t know if the American Psychiatric Association has a list of personality traits for first-born children, but if they do, I’m sure “entitled” would be near the top. My “what’s yours is mine” instinct has led me to appropriate a Miss Piggy doll from my sister, bracelets from my mom, a toothbrush from a college roommate (not my proudest moment), and, on a daily basis, anything on my husband’s plate or in his glass. My commandeering knows no bounds. Case in point: The canning set that my father-in-law received for his birthday last year now resides in my kitchen closet.
Truth be told, he gave it to me after I spent countless hours in my in-laws’ kitchen pickling cucumbers and zucchini from their garden, sealing sour cherries in liqueur, and infusing batches of strawberry jam with lavender. You know you have a canning addiction when you hope that an oncoming hurricane will knock out your power, just so you’ll have an excuse to spend an entire day bellied up to the gas stove, putting things into jars.
Spring and summer are the prime seasons for canners, but I’ve figured out how to get my fix during the off-months with recipes like wine jelly. It only requires the most basic ingredients: sugar, pectin, lemon juice, and wine. Making wine jelly is also a great way to turn a cheap bottle into a luxuriant treat. (Of course if you are willing to sacrifice a nicer bottle, it will only improve the jelly’s taste.) And the Southerner in me loves that it brings an elegant yet personal touch to a cheese board when entertaining.
I know it’s belated, but my next few jars are earmarked as “sorry I stole your Muppet, “sorry I raided your jewelry box,” “sorry I used your toothbrush,” and “sorry I continue to violate your personal table space.” Even if Hallmark had turned those sentiments into cards, something tells me wine jelly says it better.
STEP #1 REDUCE IT
STEP #2 ▼
Most wine jelly recipes have you empty the entire bottle straight into a pot, add sugar, and start cooking. However, in my experience, reducing a portion of the bottle going into the jelly intensifies the wine’s flavor while cutting the booziness. Reducing 1¼ cups down to ⅓ cup can take 20 minutes, so it’s best to get it going first, even though the reduced wine won’t go in until the end.
STEP #2 SWEETEN IT
STEP #3 ▼
Sugar plays an important role in jelly making: it helps preserve, set, and flavor the final product. Thinking of cutting back on sweetness? Think again. Dialing it back too much will prevent your jelly from congealing. I started testing by dissolving 3½ cups sugar in the remaining wine on the stovetop. But I felt the sweetness was a bit too much, so I started cutting it back. I was only able to lose ¼ cup sugar before my jelly lost its jiggle.
STEP #3 THICKEN IT
STEP #4 ▼
Some purists shy away from commercial pectin, but since this recipe starts with a bottle of wine, not a plethora of a pectin-rich fruit, it seemed like a hassle to do anything other than rip open a pouch of the liquid stuff. Along with it, I stir in a little lemon juice (for flavor) and a dot of butter. The butter seems weird, but there’s a reason. As the mixture boils, air bubbles rising to the surface create foam. Most recipes require skimming foam (it can cause problems when canning, plus it doesn’t look great), but I found the fat from a little butter allows the bubbles to surface, then disappear.
STEP #4 REINFORCE IT
STEP #5 ▼
Lastly, I add the reduced wine to give the jelly a final punch of flavor. The jelly will still be quite fluid at this point, but don’t worry, it will set up perfectly after a little time (you may notice it thickening on the sides of the saucepan or on your spoon).
STEP #5 SET IT
STEP #6 ▼
Transfer your finished wine jelly to jars and let cool to room temperature, then pop them in the fridge. Just remember that sometimes it takes up to 24 hours for the wine mixture to gel and really look like jelly. You just gotta be patient.
STEP #6 EAT IT
Once it’s set, I serve the jelly with a wide range of cheeses, from soft goat to pungent blue, or even smoky idiazabal.
About the Author: Shannon Hatch
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This is exactly what I needed for a gift I’ve been agonizing over. A wine lover – who has everything he needs for wine. And I’m not a wine person, so I never know what to get. Thank you!
I too love wine jelly but never knew how to make it. You just saved me $6/bottle. I have a mulled spice wine jelly that goes amazingly with homemade cinnamon sugar dusted donut holes! Try it!
It turned out to be a happy accident this year when I grabbed a jar of low-sugar pectin instead of the regular stuff. I’ve been able to sweeten my jams to taste without worrying about whether it will set.
I’ll definitely be adding this recipe to my Christmas gift baskets this year!
Fantastic Recipe, Cuz!
Will try it with a variety of wines. May just start a new “cave”!
Paul Villien
Oh my goodness! I’m going to make this for all of my friends and family for Christmas!
In re high sugar requirements. I think it important to point out that those interested in reducing the sugar check out Pomona’s Universal pectin [ http://www.pomonapectin.com/ ].
Hi there … how long does this last in the fridge?
Hi Phyllis, you can refrigerate the jelly for at least two months. Happy cooking!
just watched an episode of lark rise to candleford where ms lane was making this! what great timing!
Can you process the cans so it lasts longer? Do you know the boiling times?
Hi Melissa,
We’d recommend that you use a standard hot water-bath canning procedure; you can find it online at the Ball website http://www.freshpreserving.com/home.aspx or in the info that comes with Ball/Kerr jars when you purchase them.
We’re also planning a DIY book scheduled for a fall release, where we’ll have an easy-to-follow 2-pager of canning instructions.
Have ya’ll tried white wine/would you recommend it/how would it change the recipe?
this is a great idea, i love to cook and have to try this out!!
Shannon I know nothing about wine…so do you think you could give me an example of a full-bodied and fruity wine?
Thanks!
Kristine, I like Merlot in this recipe, but Shiraz would work well, too. Experiment to find your favorite … and you might want to start with your favorite red or whatever is on sale
Is there a way to replace liquid pectin with the powdered stuff I can find at my local store? Thanks.
Could this recipe be used for sparkling wines as well?
JL, I’d recommend sticking to the recipe here (and for canning recipes, in general) when it comes to the type of pectin called for. It wouldn’t be an easy swap—more like a completely new recipe:) My local supermarket chain and hardware store sells liquid pectin with the canning supplies, so hopefully you’ll be able to find a box near you!
Nicole, I haven’t tried this with sparkling wines, but I say go for it! Can’t guarantee that it will work OR that you’d be left with any bubbles, but it’s worth a try.
Thanks for the recipe! I made this with cabernet and again with pinot grigio. They taste amazing. However, the pinot grigio jelly has a (very) small cloudy layer on the top. Is it the butter? And is it only visible because the jelly is white wine and therefore more transparent? It tastes fine but I don’t want to get botulism.
If you want to can this do not use butter. Milk products cannot be canned safely at home. (butter is a milk product)
Instead use olive oil. You still get the anti-foaming protection with none of the risk.
@Jennifer: I double checked this as I’ve seen several recipes from reputable sources call for butter to reduce foaming. According to Ball Canning, “a small amount of butter, as directed by the USDA, is safe to can under their guidelines.” Hope this helps put your mind at ease. Of course, if you’d rather skim the foam off prior to canning and skip the butter, you can do so.
Thanks for putting my mind at ease!
I love the recipe and the link to Pomona Pectin. My husband is diabetic, so this is an eye-opener for me! I’ll be ordering some ASAP! We have our own vineyard, so the wine jelly is going to be pure fun to make!
I wonder if this would work with bourbon. I think I might give it a try.
I would like to try this for a gift, along with some cheese to have them try it with, but what sort of cheeses would you recommend to pair it with? You say a “wide range” but I literally have no idea.
Hi Shannon, thanks for this great recipe. I just made my first batch last night with a bottle of Viognier. I am a huge wine dork and would love to be able to add different fruits to the jelly, the particular fruit that matches the profile of each wine. Can you recommend how I can incorporate fruit into this recipe? For instance I would like to add blueberries to Zinfandel, blackberries to Cabernet, strawberries to Pinot Noir, peaches to riesling, raspberries to grenache, apples to chardonnay, etc. Any ideas on how to go about this would be much appreciated as I am brand new to jelly making and have never canned before. Thanks!
@sc, it goes with practically everything! i love manchego, cave-aged gouda, cheddar, an assertive blue … something too mild like goat might be overwhelmed, but give it a try.
@thesharptooh, I haven’t tried the recipe with any fruit, so you’d be experimenting in your own “test kitchen.” let me know how it goes! sounds tasty.
Wow! I want to try this wine jelly..thanks for sharing…
My daughter brought me a jar of wine jelly from my favorite winery and I wanted to try to make it myself. My question is about the reducing. I’m a rookie at this so I need help. You said to reduce 1 1/4 cup down to 1/2 cup. Then you used 3 1/2 cups of sugar. The other recipe I found calls for 3 cups of wine and 4 cups of sugar. In reducing do you still use the same amount of sugar?
@bblu3: After you reduce the 1 1/4 cup of wine, you bring the remainder of the bottle to a boil with the sugar. So you are eventually using the entire bottle … does that help?