Apple Scrap Jelly

Written by
Leda Meredith
Leda Meredith is a food writer and certified botanist who has written five books on foraging and preserving food.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Leda Meredith
Updated 09/13/20
Apple jelly in glass jar

Vanessa Druckman / Flickr / CC 2.0
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 60 mins
Total: 70 mins
Servings: 16 to 24 servings
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
188 Calories
0g Fat
49g Carbs
0g Protein
See Full Nutritional Guidelines Hide Full Nutritional Guidelines
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 16 to 24
Amount per serving
Calories 188
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 2mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 49g 18%
Dietary Fiber 3g 10%
Protein 0g
Calcium 9mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

"Something-for-nothing" recipes can't be beaten, and this is a favorite. The next time you're making apple pie or applesauce, save the cores and peels and turn them into this delicious jelly.

Ingredients

  • 12 to 15 apples (cores and peels of organic apples)
  • 1 gallon water
  • 4 cups sugar
  • 8 tablespoons lemon juice

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Put 3 half-pint jars into your canner and cover them with water. Bring to a boil and boil for 15 minutes to sterilize the jars.

  3. Turn off the heat and add the canning lids to the hot water. Do not boil the lids or you will damage the adhesive rings on them.

  4. While the jars are sterilizing, put the apple cores and peels into a large enameled or stainless steel pot. Add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook until the cores are mushy and the water level has reduced by half.

  5. Strain out the apple scraps. Measure the liquid then return it to the pot. For every cup of apple liquid, add 1/2 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook, stirring often, until the mixture reaches the gel point.

  6. Remove the sterilized jars and lids from the canner. Ladle the jelly into the jars leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Screw on the 2-piece canning lids.

  7. Process in a boiling water bath for 5 minutes and enjoy!

Tips

  • Tart apples have a higher pectin content than blandly sweet ones and will reach the gel point sooner.
  • Including some peels from red apples will give your jelly a lovely blush color.