Homemade jams and preserves aren’t just for summer fruits. This pomegranate jelly recipe is super easy to make and takes advantage of a very beautiful fall fruit. Find more of my pomegranate recipes.
It really is the most wonderful time of the year! And I’m not talking about Thanksgiving or Christmas! It is pomegranate season, and in my house, that makes one of our favorite seasons. My family can never have too much pomegranate!
I don’t claim to have a green thumb, but I do enjoy gardening. Over 15 years ago, my husband came home to our newly planted yard and added a scraggly looking pomegranate tree to our garden. It didn’t look like much and stood only 2-3 feet tall.
I couldn’t imagine that Charlie Brown Christmas Tree of a Pomegranate Tree holding anything up, let along a few pomegranates. Lucky for us, that tree did grow and has been a super easy tree to maintain. And we’ve been blessed with pomegranates, every fall.
We picked the fruit off our pomegranate tree last week. My family was ecstatic because this was the first year that the birds and squirrels didn’t attack our fruit. Our humble little tree gave us about 30 pomegranates. That may sound like a lot for the average American family, but those beauties will be eaten in a week or two.
Why you must try this recipe
Over the years, we have seeded hundreds of pomegranates. Now that my kids are older, my teenage daughter has learned to seed a pomegranate. So you see, we’ve mastered the technique.
Remember, pomegranate juice stains and the acidic juice can also irritate your skin. But I’m talking about long contact with pomegranate juice, like when you seed oh, 30 some odd pomegranates! So seeding a pomegranate in a bowl of water is truly the best way to seed a pomegranate.
The water method not only catches the pomegranate arils that fall out of the skin, but it also keeps you fingers clean and free of pomegranate juice. You can find the full instructions on how to seed a pomegranate here.
Which brings me to today’s wonderful pomegranate recipe, pomegranate jelly! To make pomegranate jelly, you need pomegranate juice. Although you can buy pomegranate juice, nothing beats fresh pomegranate juice.
And I’ve got detailed instructions on the best way to juice a pomegranate here.
Now the fruit of the pomegranate, the pomegranate aril, is basically all juice and seed. You do need pectin to solidify the jelly. I used store bought pectin.
You can also add pomegranate juice to any fruit to make a pectin-free jam. Strawberries and raspberries would work beautifully with pomegranate juice to make jam.
Pomegranate jelly is truly a unique jelly and a fabulous way to preserve this fall favorite fruit. I like to serve my jelly with a sprinkling of fresh pomegranate arils, to really maximize the flavor.
It really is a delicious jelly for pomegranate lovers. And of course, it is rich in antioxidants and vitamins!
Ingredients you need
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- Pomegranate juice: I have made jelly with both freshly squeeze pomegranate juice and store bought.
- Lemon juice: The lemon juice helps keep the juice from oxidizing.
- Powdered pectin: Because this is a jelly made from pomegranate juice and there is not fruit or fiber in it, you need pectin to jellify your jam.
- Granulated sugar: You can make your pomegranate jelly as sweet or as tart as you like it.
Tools to Use
Step-by-step directions
1. In a large 4-quart pot over high heat mix together pomegranate and lemon juice.
2. Stir in pectin and bring to boil, stirring constantly to prevent the juice from burning.
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3. When you have a rolling boil that cannot be stirred down, mix in sugar.
4. When the sugar is combined, boil for 2 minutes then remove from heat.
5. Using a spoon, skim off and remove any foam that is on top.
6. Pour jelly mixture into sanitized mason jars. If you are canning your jam, click here for hot water canning instructions.
If storing your jelly in the refrigerator or freezer, you can top each jar of jelly with 2 TBS pomegranate arils, if desired. Once jars reach room temperature, place in the refrigerator for 2 hours to firm up the jelly.
Recipe tips and FAQs
Pomegranate juice is naturally tart, which is one of the reasons why my family loves it! But you do need to add sugar to sweeten it. How much sugar depends on your personal preference. I found that adding equal parts sugar and pomegranate juice (1:1) makes a nice, sweet jam without cracking the tooth enamel.
If you are gifting your jars of pomegranate jelly, then I suggest you hot water can the jelly jars. Full instructions on hot water canning can be found here. This guarantees the sanitized seal and prolongs the life of your jelly for up to one year.
If you are making a small batch of pomegranate jelly and plan to keep it in the refrigerator, than hot water canning is not necessary. Pomegranate jelly lasts up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator.
If you are like me and make homemade gifts for the holidays, then definitely add some pomegranate jelly to the to-do list. I’ve made it easy for you and have these pomegranate jelly labels for you to print out at home.
They fit perfectly in the 2-inch circle labels that Avery makes. Some kraft cardboard and colorful twine, and these babies are ready-made gifts.
So you see, pomegranate insanity has hit my house again this fall. And I’m totally okay with that. This is the time of the year, that we use pomegranate in everything, from drinks to dolmeh to soups and baked goodies.
You can find all of my recipes that feature pomegranate in every form possible here. If you like pomegranate jelly, which try some pomegranate jello?!
And I have a nice video that shows you how easy it is to make your own homemade pomegranate jelly. So you have nothing stopping you from enjoying this sweet and tangy confectionary for yourself!
Jelly will keep in the refrigerator approximately 3 weeks once opened. You can also freeze the jelly for up to one year in freezer safe containers. Remember to leave enough head space (about 1-inch) for expansion. If hot water canned and sealed, jars of jelly will last for 2 years.
The fruit of the pomegranate, the pomegranate aril, is basically all juice and seed. Pomegranate jelly is made with pomegranate juice. So, you do need pectin to solidify the jelly. You can also add pomegranate juice to any fruit to make a pectin-free jam. Strawberries and raspberries would work beautifully with pomegranate juice to make jam.
Pomegranate Jelly
Ingredients
- 4 cup pomegranate juice
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 1 packet of powdered pectin
- 4 cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- In a large 4-quart pot over high heat mix together pomegranate and lemon juice.
- Stir in pectin and bring to boil, stirring constantly to prevent the juice from burning.
- When you have a rolling boil that cannot be stirred down, mix in sugar.
- When the sugar is combined, boil for 2 minutes then remove from heat.
- Using a spoon, skim off and remove any foam that is on top.
- If you are canning your jam, click here for canning instructions.
- If storing your jelly in the refrigerator or freezer, you can top each jar of jelly with 2 TBS pomegranate arils, if desired.
- Once jars reach room temperature, place in the refrigerator for 2 hours to firm up the jelly.
- Jelly will keep approximately 3 weeks in the refrigerator once opened. You can also freeze the jelly for up to one year.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
PS If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback.
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I made some pomegranate jelly and forgot to add lemon juice will that affect my jelly?
Since we add pectin to pomegranate jelly, your jelly should solidify without the lemon juice. Pomegranate juice has pH of 3. From what I read online, you need an acidity level around pH3-3.5 for a jelly to form. As an acid, the lemon juice is also added to prevent bacteria growth. To be safe, I would store the jelly in the refrigerator.
I’m going to make some pomegranate jam and I don’t want to have to seal it in the boiling water, so I like this recipe. But can you tell me what pomegranate rails are?
Hi Denise!
I hope you enjoy the jelly. I meant to type pomegranate arils not rails. Those are the juicy seeds inside the pomegranate.
Laura
I want to make this just because it’s so pretty! Thanks!