This homemade spiced apple jelly is the perfect budget-friendly recipe for your holiday gifting! You most likely have most of the required ingredients on hand, and the best part about this recipe is that it uses apple scraps! So while you are canning your apple sauce, remember to save your scraps to make this easy canning recipe for the holidays.

What Does Spiced Apple Jelly Taste Like?

Spiced apple jelly has the sweetness of fresh apple pie, with the spice of apple cider. Depending on how much spice you add, once you extract the juices from the apple scraps, it can have a plain apple flavor taste just like apple juice. 

How to Save Apple Scraps for Spiced Apple Jelly

In order to make this spiced apple jelly recipe for the holidays you will need to make this recipe before your apple scraps start to turn. To extend the life of the apple scraps you can freeze them like I did, and make this recipe a month or so after prime apple harvest season. Simple fill a large freezer bag full of your apple scraps, remove as much air as possible, and place in the freezer for a few months. 

In order to save your scraps quickly and efficiently, I highly recommend investing in this apple peeler. It will not only make saving your apple scraps super easy, but it will make all of your apple canning and baking so much easier! It peels, cores, and slices all in one go! 

Apple Peeler, Corer, and Slicer

Save time with your apple processing with this wonderful apple peeler!

Serving Spiced Apple Jelly

I think that this homemade apple jelly is a great holiday alternative to red pepper jelly. Serve with cream cheese or brie with a wooden spoon. Let your guests spoon the jelly on the cheese with crackers or a sliced baguette.

FREE Spiced Apple Jelly Label Download

To make your homemade jelly even more special, Add a custom label to dress up your canning jar. Wrap some kraft paper or parchment paper with some colorful twine. Complete your gifted apple jelly with a cinnamon stick and some winter greenery. 

Create the perfect hostess gift by adding your homemade apple cider jelly to a small basket or thrifted bowl with a tea towel paired with a small wooden spoon. 

Download my FREE Holiday Canning Label below. 

​Spiced Apple Jelly Recipe Ingredients:

  1. Apple Scraps: Peelings and cores from apples (with seeds removed).
  2. Water: Enough to cover the apple scraps in the pot (6 cups).
  3. Sugar: 1 cup of sugar for every cup of apple juice obtained (or what your pectin/certo recipe calls for).
  4. Lemon Juice:1-2 tablespoons for acidity and flavor (optional).
  5. Cinnamon Sticks and Whole Cloves: Optional, for added flavor.

Equipment Needed:

  1. Large Pot: For simmering apple scraps and extracting juice.
  2. Cheesecloth or Fine Mesh Strainer: To strain the juice from the apple scraps.
  3. Jelly Bags or Muslin Cloth: If you prefer a clearer jelly, you can use these for straining.
  4. Canning Jars: For storing the jelly. I am using half pint jars.
  5. Canning Lids and Rings: To seal the jars.
  6. Water Bath Canner: For preserving the jelly in a water bath.
  7. Jar Lifter and Funnel: To safely lift jars in and out of canner, and to safely pour jelly into jars.

How to Make Spiced Apple Jelly

  1. Prepare Your Equipment: Ensure that your canning jars, lids, and bands are clean and sterilized. You can sterilize them over high heat in a stock pot, boiling them for about 10 minutes or using a dishwasher’s sterilize function.
  2. Prepare Apple Scraps: Collect clean apple peelings and cores. Remember to remove all the apple seeds from the cores.
  3. Simmer Apple Scraps: Place the apple scraps in a large pot, add water to cover, bring to a full rolling boil and then simmer over medium heat for 45 minutes to 1 hour until the scraps are soft, and the water is infused with apple flavor.
  4. Strain the Juice: Strain the juice from the apple scraps using cheesecloth or a fine mesh strainer. For a clearer jelly, use jelly bags or muslin cloth.
  5. Measure the Juice: Measure the extracted apple juice.
  6. Prepare the Spice Infusion: In a clean pot, combine the apple juice, 7 1/2 cups of sugar, lemon juice, and spices. You can tie the spices in a piece of cheesecloth or place them in a spice bag for easy removal later.
  7. Bring to a Boil: Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir frequently.
  8. Skim Foam: Skim off any foam that rises to the surface during boiling.
  9. Test for Gel Point: Use a spoon or a cold plate to test for the gel point. The jelly should wrinkle when pushed with a finger.
  10. Remove Spice Bag: Remove the spice bag, squeezing it gently to extract any flavorful juices.
  11. Fill Jars: Pour the hot, spiced jelly into clean jars, leaving about 1/4 inch headspace.
  12. Seal Jars: Wipe the jar rims, place sterilized lids on top, and screw on the metal bands until they’re fingertip-tight.
  13. Water Bath Canning: Process the jars in a hot water bath canner for 10 minutes. Make sure the jars are covered with at least an inch of water.
  14. Cool and Store: Allow the jars to cool completely to room temperature for 24 hours before storing them in a cool, dark place.
  15. Labeling: Don’t forget to label your mason jars with the date and contents.

An important thing to note: If you want to double the batch make sure to process in small batches. DO NOT DOUBLE this recipe. Your jelly may not set.

More Canning Posts:

Homemade Spiced Apple Jelly

No ratings yet
This homemade spiced apple jelly is the perfect budget-friendly recipe for your holiday gifting!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Servings12 half pints

Equipment

  • large pot, For simmering apple scraps and extracting juice.
  • Cheesecloth or Fine Mesh Strainer, To strain the juice from the apple scraps.
  • Canning Jars, For storing the jelly. I am using half pint jars.
  • Canning Lids and Rings, To seal the jars.
  • Water Bath Canner, For preserving the jelly in a water bath.
  • Jar Lifter and Funnel, To safely lift jars in and out of canner, and to safely pour jelly into jars.

Ingredients  

  • 3 lbs apple scraps (peelings and cores from apples – with seeds removed)
  • 6 cups water
  • 7 ½ cups granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice bottled
  • 3 sticks cinnamon whole
  • 1 pkg Pectin/Certo

Instructions 

  1. Prepare Your Equipment: Ensure that your canning jars, lids, and bands are clean and sterilized. You can sterilize them over high heat in a stock pot, boiling them for about 10 minutes or using a dishwasher's sterilize function.
  2. Prepare Apple Scraps: Collect clean apple peelings and cores. Remember to remove all the apple seeds from the cores.
  3. Simmer Apple Scraps: Place the apple scraps in a large pot, add water to cover, bring to a full rolling boil and then simmer over medium heat for 45 minutes to 1 hour until the scraps are soft, and the water is infused with apple flavor.
  4. Strain the Juice: Strain the juice from the apple scraps using cheesecloth or a fine mesh strainer. For a clearer jelly, use jelly bags or muslin cloth.
  5. Measure the Juice: Measure the extracted apple juice.
  6. Prepare the Spice Infusion: In a clean pot, combine the apple juice, 7 1/2 cups of sugar, lemon juice, and spices. You can tie the spices in a piece of cheesecloth or place them in a spice bag for easy removal later.
  7. Bring to a Boil: Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir frequently.
  8. Skim Foam: Skim off any foam that rises to the surface during boiling.
  9. Test for Gel Point: Use a spoon or a cold plate to test for the gel point. The jelly should wrinkle when pushed with a finger.
  10. Remove Spice Bag: Remove the spice bag, squeezing it gently to extract any flavorful juices.
  11. Fill Jars: Pour the hot, spiced jelly into clean jars, leaving about 1/4 inch headspace
  12. Seal Jars: Wipe the jar rims, place sterilized lids on top, and screw on the metal bands until they're fingertip-tight.
  13. Water Bath Canning: Process the jars in a hot water bath canner for 10 minutes. Make sure the jars are covered with at least an inch of water.
  14. Cool and Store: Allow the jars to cool completely to room temperature for 24 hours before storing them in a cool, dark place.
  15. Labeling: Don't forget to label your mason jars with the date and contents.

Notes

  • An important thing to note: If you want to double the batch make sure to process in small batches. DO NOT DOUBLE this recipe. Your jelly may not set.
  • If your jelly doesn’t set, remove all of the jelly from the jars and start from step 7. You will need to use new canning lids.

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




2 Comments

  1. Hi Caitlin! I’m looking forward to trying this recipe. How much juice do you need to measure out? I’m assuming equal parts juice to sugar? Thanks for letting me know.

    1. Hi Janine 🙂

      Just use whatever you have from your apple scraps. Honestly it doens’t matter which is why I didn’t put an exact measurement of juice, just the peels and cores. Less juice will make your reduction faster, more will make it longer 🙂