Recipe: Cactus Fruit Jelly (Prickly Pear 'Apple' Jelly)

CACTUS FRUIT JELLY (Prickly Pear "Apple" Jelly)

3 1/4 cups juice from cooked fruit
1 bottle liquid pectin
Juice of two lemons
8 level cups sugar

Remove fine thorns and blossom ends from 3 pounds of ripe cactus fruit. Cut into small pieces, crush and add 1 cup water. Stir until boiling, cover pan and simmer 10 minutes. Place in cheese cloth bag and squeeze out juice.

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 one-half minute.

Remove from fire, let stand a few seconds, skim, pour quickly into jars and seal. Process in water bath canner for 10 minutes.