Tunapricklypearcactusfruitjelly Recipes

TUNA ( PRICKLY PEAR CACTUS FRUIT ) JELLY

Steps:

• Pluck the fruit from the cactus with a long handled fork or tongs.
• Put on rubber gloves to protect your hands: wash fruit under running water, then use a brush to clean (spines left on the fruit will soften during the cooking process and should come off after the fruit is strained).
• Place in stockpot with about a cup of water.
• Stir until boiling, cover pan and simmer until tender and soft.
• Mash cooked fruit and strain using cheesecloth, a jelly bag or a fine sieve; set aside for juice to settle (for very clear jelly, do not use the portion containing sediment).
• Measure sugar into a separate pan.
• Bring juice and pectin just to boil, stirring constantly, and begin to add sugar slowly with constant stirring, taking about 5 minutes to add sugar, and keeping juice nearly at a boil.
• Then bring to a rolling boil and boil for three minutes longer.
• Remove from heat, let stand a few seconds, skim, pour quickly into jars and seal while hot.
• Process for ten minutes in a boiling water bath.

PRICKLY PEAR JELLY

Steps:

• Bring juice to a boil in a medium sized sauce pan over high heat.
• Once boiling, add pectin and stir quickly for 1 minute.
• Turn off heat and add lemon juice and sugar. Mix well.
• Return to a hard boil and stir for ~3 minutes or until the syrup becomes thick.
• Remove from heat and skim off any foam that formed while boiling.
• Once done, carefully fill a mason jar (I used a wide mouth funnel) and allow to cool. I let my jelly set up overnight.
• Cover and refrigerate (lasts around 2 weeks).
• If keeping in pantry:
• Boil enough water to cover your mason jar and lid. This will sterilize it. When jam is ready to be removed from heat, carefully remove mason jar and lid.
• Carefully pour jam into the mason jar (I used a wide mouth funnel).
• Place lid on and turn over the jar. Leave upside down for 10 minutes.
• This will seal the jam and allow you to store it in the pantry/counter/etc. I let my jelly set up overnight.
• Refrigerate after opening. Enjoy!

PRICKLY PEAR CACTUS FRUIT ) JELLY RECIPE - (4.3/5)

Steps:

• Pluck the fruit from the cactus with a long handled fork or tongs. 2 Put on rubber gloves to protect your hands: wash fruit under running water, then use a brush to clean (spines left on the fruit will soften during the cooking process and should come off after the fruit is strained). 3 Place in stockpot with about a cup of water. 4 Stir until boiling, cover pan and simmer until tender and soft. 5 Mash cooked fruit and strain using cheesecloth, a jelly bag or a fine sieve; set aside for juice to settle (for very clear jelly, do not use the portion containing sediment). 6 Measure sugar into a separate pan. 7 Bring juice and pectin just to boil, stirring constantly, and begin to add sugar slowly with constant stirring, taking about 5 minutes to add sugar, and keeping juice nearly at a boil. 8 Then bring to a rolling boil and boil for three minutes longer. 9 Remove from heat, let stand a few seconds, skim, pour quickly into jars and seal while hot. 10 Process for ten minutes in a boiling water bath

BEACHCOMBER'S PRICKLY PEAR JELLY

Steps:

• Harvest tunas (prickly pear fruits) wearing thick gloves. A 2 quart colander full to top should yield about 8 cups juice. Be sure to include a few that still are a wee bit green if possible. Do NOT handle these with bare hands (you will be sorry because they are deceptive- she writes while gnawing at her right thumb pad - LOL).
• Rinse the fruits in a colander (we have a lot of salt spray here). Then put them in a large nonreactive kettle with the 2 cups of water. Cover & bring to rapid simmer. Simmer until fruit soft - about 30 minutes.
• Ladle now mushy fruits into blender & blend with enough water to make thick slurry. Ok to do this after fruits cool if this recipe has been too high risk up to this point. Otherwise blend when hot but be sure to hold down blender lid with a thick cloth between it & your hand because boiling brilliant magenta juice with tiny tiny spines REALLY hurts! (Clorox cleanup gets it off countertops & walls).
• Pour blended fruits back into pan with residual water & stir.
• Drape 4 layers of cheesecloth in colander (which should sit in another pot or bowl) & dampen.
• Pour or ladle then pour the brilliant magenta fruit slurry into the cheesecloth & gather the edges to twist and squeeze the juice out (need to wait a bit if the mush inside is still hot). Your hands will be stained brilliant magenta if you opt not to wear gloves but the cheesecloth effectively sieves out any little spines.
• Rinse out the initial kettle (use those gloves just to be safe) and pour the strained juice back into it. Add lemon juice. Heat to boil & add the 2 packets of powdered pectin. Bring to a hard boil for 1-2 minutes.
• Add 7 cups of sugar, blend well & bring to a hard boil for 2 minutes.
• Ladle into sterilized 1 cup jars, lid & process in covered hot water bath for 20 minutes. Leave 1/2 inch headroom when filling jars & be sure to have jars in hot water bath covered by at least 2 inches of water.
• Remove from bath & place on flat towel on counter. Jars should "pop" within 5 minutes. ENJOY!