Categories: jams and Jellies

Ingredients

• about 4 quarts prickly pears (pick when deep
• purple, usually ready in September
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1 pkg. pectin or Sure Jell
• 4 1/2 cup sugar

Directions

1. Pick prickly pears when deep purple. Use LONG BBQ tongs to pick and long sleeves to protect against cactus needles. Half a large grocery bag is enough to start with. you can remove some of the larger needles if you like, but there will still be some small ones, so be careful.
2. Wash pears well- hold each pear with tongs (not fingers). Cut in half with sharp scissors. Use large canning kettle filled no more than half full of cactus fruit. Cover with water and boil until pears are soft and mushy. Run the pears through a ricer, food mill or force them through a sieve.

3. Strain juice through cheesecloth.

4. In a 5-quart pan, combine 3 cups of the juice from the cactus pears, 1/2 cup lemon juice, and pectin or Sure Jell; and bring to a boil.
5. Add 4 1/2 cups sugar and bring to boil again and boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, skim the froth off tor nice clear jelly. Pour into jelly glasses and seal with melted paraffin.
6. Should set in a couple of days-if not may need to be re-boiled.

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