Buffalo Berry Jelly

TJ-Montana's Note:

Buffalo berries make a highly prized jelly - part of the high marks go for the fact that they're atrocious to pick! If your fingers survive the long, needle sharp thorns, you've got a beautiful jelly in the making. If you pick your berries prior to a frost, you will not need to add pectin. If the fruit is overripe or has been through a hard frost, add 3 oz liquid pectin before boiling.

• Total Time: 45 mins
• Prep Time: 45 mins
• Cook Time: 0 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 12

Yield: 2.0 pints

• 1 quart ripe buffalo berries
• ½ cup water
• 2 cups sugar
• ¼ teaspoon butter

Directions:

1. Wash, sort and stem berries.
2. Place in deep saucepan or jelly kettle and bring to a boil, stirring often.
3. Simmer for 10 minutes, then mash with a potato masher.
4. Simmer an additional 5 minutes.
5. Run through a food mill or jelly bag. You may have to mash juice out of the jelly bag with your hands to fully discharge -- there should be about 2 cups of milky juice.
6. Measure fruit juice and add boiling water through pulp to make a full two cups. Pour into deep pot, on medium-high.
7. Add sugar and stir well.
8. Add butter (reducing foaming) and bring to a boil. If adding pectin, do so once it has begun to boil.
9. Boil hard for 1 minute while stirring constantly.
10. Ladle into hot canning jars, apply lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Jelly will turn darker, ranging from peach to orangey-red as it processes. It will not be clear, but resemble honey.