wine jelly

Ever get a crappy bottle of wine as a gift? I'm not a wine snob, but even I hesitate to drink the stuff in jugs. So what do you do? Most people wouldn't advise cooking with it, as whatever makes that wine bad to begin with just gets more concentrated on cooking. There is a solution, however -- wine jelly. The vast amounts of sugar required by the jelly-making process turn wretched wine into just-fine jelly. I have tried making this jelly with drinkable wine (Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling or Jacob's Creek Merlot) and it has turned out well, but not that much better than with 2 Buck Chuck. If you've never made jelly before, this isn't where you're going to learn all of the finer details of home preservation. There are plenty of websites for that. What you're getting here is the recipe for what goes into the mason jars. So here it is:

1 750 ml bottle of wine (have fun with this)
Enough lemon juice to make 4 cups of liquid (about 1/2 cup)
1 packet of dry pectin
4 1/2 cups sugar (31.5 oz by weight)

Combine wine, lemon juice, and pectin in a large saucepot. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Add sugar, stirring until dissolved. Return to a rolling boil. Boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim foam off top, if necessary.

Ladle hot jelly into 7 hot, sterilized, half-pint jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Tighten 2 piece lids. Process for 6 minutes in boiling water bath. Allow jars to cool. If any of the lids didn't vacuum-seal, use those jars first (and refrigerate -- they haven't been properly preserved).

Some interesting variations: make a mulled wine jelly by adding in a cinnamon stick, whole cloves, and a dash of freshly grated nutmeg to a fruity red -- strain out before pouring into jars. Add chopped candied ginger to a white wine to make ginger-wine jelly. Add fresh herbs of your choice to a white wine for a refreshing combination. Add them during the last minute and strain out before pouring into jars. Despite how weird it sounds, the herbs add a touch of elegance. Try basil or sage with chardonnay and use it as a glaze on pork or chicken.