If you have ever wanted to make homemade jelly, try making your own pindo palm jelly. Pindo palms grow in the southern United States in areas such as South Carolina and Florida. The palm trees produce pindo fruit, which has a citrus smell and a succulent taste. The pindo fruit, or "pindo dates," resemble palm dates. After the fruit ripens, local residents harvest it for making an elegant jelly.
Instructions
1. Find fresh pindo fruit. The fruit is freshest once it begins to fall off the pindo palm tree. Clean the pindo fruit under warm water to remove any dirt and debris from the fruit.
2. Add 6 to 8 cups of pindo fruit to a pot of water. The water should rise a few inches above the fruit.
3. Bring the pot of water and fruit to a boil. Reduce the heat to a medium setting. Cook the fruit for 1 hour.
4. Allow the fruit to cool completely before continuing.
5. Cover a bowl with cheesecloth, and pour the fruit and juice out of the pan and through the cheesecloth. The cheesecloth will catch the pits of the fruit and the fruit pieces.
6. Measure 5 cups of the pindo juice. Combine the juice, one box of pectin, and the juice of one lemon in a large cooking pot. Mix the ingredients, and bring the mixture to a boil.
7. Add 1/2 tsp. of butter and 5 cups of sugar to the boiling mixture. Stir until the butter melts and and sugar dissolves.
8. Turn the mixture down to medium-high heat and cook for 15 minutes. Monitor the jelly mixture to ensure it does not boil over or scorch.
9. Pour the jelly into sterilized pint-sized canning jars. Allow the jelly to sit for 5 to 10 minutes.
10. Add the canning lid and ring to each jar. Place the jars in a pot filled with 4 inches of water. Heat the water with the canning jars in it. When you hear a popping noise, the jars are sealed. Push on the canning lids with your finger; if the lid dents, it did seal properly.
11. Store the pindo palm jelly in a cool, dry environment.
Tags: pindo fruit, canning jars, cups pindo, fruit fruit, pindo palm, pindo palm jelly