Harvest Monday: Peach Peel Jelly

What could bless a cheapskate's heart more than turning a pile of stinking peach pits & peels into a pile of beautiful peach jellies?

I feel I qualify for an honorary homesteaders medal or something of the sort!

Last week I shared what I've put up so far this summer. (Not to be confused with what I've put up with!) When I was googling tips on canning peaches, I stumbled across a few mentions of saving the peach peels and pits to make jelly with. Boo YAH. 

 So I had a nice slimy bowl of goo sitting in the fridge for a few days until I could get to it. And it was easy as pie to ,boot! (Peach pie, of course.)

How to Make Peach Peel Jelly

1. Save all peels and pits from your peaches after you are done stuffing your face with fresh juicy peaches canning, freezing, etc.

2. Put the peels & pits in a large stock pot and just barely cover them with water. Bring them to a boil, then let them simmer for about a half hour.

3. Turn off the heat and let them rest overnight.

4. Put the peels/pits into a cheesecloth and squeeze out every last bit of good peachy juice. I canned a bushel of peaches and ended up with about 9 cups of peach juice.

5. Put 3 cups juice into a large saucepan, and add 1 package of powdered pectin. (I recommend using the powdered kind because I never have any luck with the liquid pectin.) Bring to a rolling boil.

6. Add 3 cup sugar (I don't think jelly is supposed to be healthy!) and return to a boil. Boil rapidly for a minute or two, then remove from heat.

7. Skim off the foam from the top, pour into your hot canning jars, then process for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath. You can also just ladle it into a clean container and refrigerate it if you aren't canning.

Mmmm. I've been waking up every morning this past week to the Tornado's voice whispering in my ear, "Mama, can I have a piece of toast...with peach jelly???"

Come see what other gardeners have been doing with their harvests for Harvest Monday!