Directions:

• Place 3 clean 250 ml mason jars on a rack in a boiling water canner. Cover jars with water and heat to a simmer (180°F/82°C). Set screw bands aside. Keep jars hot until ready to use.


• Preheating Bernardin® lids is not advised. The sealing compound used for our home canning lids performs better at room temperature than it does pre-heated in simmering water (180°F). Simply wash lids in hot, soapy water, dry, and set aside until needed. Preheating can lead to less vacuum being achieved during water bath canning, and to buckle failures during pressure canning.


• Cut red onion into 1/8 inch (3 mm) slices; cut slices into 1/4 inch (0.5 cm) dice. Measure 1 cup (250 ml) into a large, deep stainless steel saucepan. With a sharp knife, cut a wide strip of paper-thin yellow peel from lemon; cut into thin strips and measure 2 tsp (10 ml) into saucepan. Stir in vinegar and all the sugar.


• Over high heat, bring mixture to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down. Add liquid pectin, squeezing entire contents from pouch. Boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and quickly skim off foam, if necessary.


• Pour hot jelly into hot sterilized jars, dividing solids equally among jars and filling each jar to within 1/4 inch (0.5 cm) of top of jar (headspace). Using nonmetallic utensil, remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if required, by adding more jelly. Wipe jar rim removing any food residue. Centre sealing disc on clean jar rim. Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip tight. Return filled jar to rack in canner. Repeat for remaining jelly.


• When canner is filled, ensure that all jars are covered by at least one inch (2.5 cm) of water. Cover canner and bring water to full rolling boil before starting to count processing time. At altitudes up to 1000 ft (305 m), process –boil filled jars – 10 minutes.


• Remove jars without tilting. Cool upright, until lids curve down, about 30 minutes. DO NOT RETIGHTEN screw bands. When lids are concave, carefully invert, twist and/or rotate each jar to distribute solids throughout the jelly. The jar can be inverted temporarily but should not be allowed to stand upside-down for prolonged periods. Repeat as needed during the cooling/setting time, until solids are nicely suspended in the jelly.


• After 24 hours check jar seals. Sealed discs curve downward. Remove screw bands; wipe and dry bands and jars. Store screw bands separately or replace loosely on jars, as desired. Label and store jars in a cool, dark place. For best quality, use home canned foods within one year.

Notes & Tips