Cooking with Kelly: Wine Jelly Recipe

After a year apart, I have finally, finally returned to the Chicago Food Swap scene! It was awesome seeing familiar faces Sunday and meeting new foodie friends. My wine jelly was a huge hit and it was so easy that I almost feel guilty with the amazing haul I got at the swap. There were some really talented cooks and chefs there yesterday. I always get a little bit of anxiety for precisely that reason - these people are legit, will my baked goods and concoctions be good enough? This recipe delivered big time. In no time at all, this came together into a presentable, classy dish that netted me a ton of tasty treats.

A word on the wine: I used a cheap Cabernet from ALDI. It was $5 per bottle and was amazing in this recipe. In fact, the only item from the whole ensemble that didn't come from ALDI was the pectin. Do note that because this only boils for a minute, most of the alcohol remains. This one isn't for the kids' sammies, folks. Instead, I'd suggest this with crackers or a baked brie of even in a tart. This would work with white wine, too, but I'd suggest a dry wine, because this does contain quite a bit of sugar.

Kelly's Cabernet Jelly Recipe
1 bottle (just more than 3 cups) of Cabernet
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 ounces pectin
4 1/2 cups white sugar

So, so easy. Bring the wine, juice and pectin to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved, then bring to a boil for one minute to gel. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes. I poured these into plastic souffle cups, then allowed to set up on the counter before refrigerating for 24 hours. You could can these in small jars and boil for five minutes to make shelf stable.

See, told you it was easy. And that little secret sauce brought all this into my possession:

So you can see, it's quite tasty stuff. Give it a try and let me know how it goes!