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Pick over the berries carefully, discarding the leaves and any less-than-perfect fruit. Wash the berries in a strainer under cold water. Slide them gently into kettle and bring to a boil. As the berries heat, they will liquefy and create their own juice. Mash the fruit with a potato masher to help extract all the juice you can. When there are no berries left in the pulp, remove from heat and pour the pulp into a cheesecloth-linked strainer set over a deep bowl for several hours. (You may want to cover the strainer loosely and let the pulp drain overnight.)
When the pulp is quite dry, measure the juice left in the bowl, and pour all of the liquid into a pan. Measure an equal quantity of sugar and set aside. Bring the liquid to boil for 10 minutes, and then add the sugar. Boil about 10 minutes more and skim off any foam, etc that may have accumulated on the top. To test, pour a spoonful of the liquid onto a refrigerated saucer. If it jells, take the hot jelly off the stove.
While still warm, pour the jelly into the sterilized jars. (If adding the rose geranium leaf, please drop it into the jar before pouring the liquid into the jar.) Let cool completely. The jelly should be soft but firm enough to hold its shape when spooned out. If not, place the jars (covered again in cheesecloth) in a sunny place in your kitchen so the remaining liquid can evaporate naturally (it might take a couple pf days). When set, pour two layers of paraffin over the jelly to seal it, the secure the lid. Store in a cool dry place. |
