Red Zinger Tea Jelly

HeatherFeather's Note:

Adapted from Southern Living. Recipe requires knowledge of hot water canning or you can make these refrigerator jellies by storing in the fridge up to three months (as opposed to putting up in your cupboard). I haven't tried this yet. Note: The original version claimed to produce 12 half pint jars, but the amounts seem to indicate only perhaps 3 or 4 half pint jars. Once I have tested this I will update the servings with the correct amount.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 30 mins
• Prep Time: 1 hrs
• Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 3 half pi ...

• 1 ¾ cups water
• 12 teabags red zinger tea (regular size)
• ¼ cup fresh orange juice
• 3 cups granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons grated orange rind
• 2 teaspoons orange liqueur (optional)
• 1 (3 ounce) package liquid pectin

Directions:

1. Boil water in a large pot.
2. Remove from heat, add tea bags and let steep 20 minutes, covered; discard tea bags when done.
3. Pour orange juice into a mesh strainer (set right over a saucepan) to remove pulp.
4. Add brewed tea, sugar, orange rind, and orange liqueur and bring to a boil.
5. Boil, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes, then remove from heat.
6. Let cool 5 minutes.
7. Stir in liquid pectin, then return to a boil.
8. Once it boils, continue boiling 1 minute while sitrring, and skim off any foam with a metal spoon.
9. Pour into hot, sterile canning jars up to 1/4 inch from the top.
10. Wipe jars rims, cover with hot sterile lides, screw on bands.
11. Process in a hot water canning bath 5 minutes or store in fridge up to 3 months.

Reviews

[Jxenja]

This is a delicious and unique tasting jelly that I really enjoy especially on bread with butter. I made it according to the recipe as posted and was very happy with the results. It has a beautiful color and set up very firmly. I had my husband (who has never tried red zinger tea) taste-test it, and he said it tasted like raspberries. It has a unique perky fruity taste.

[*Z*]

Love this jelly!! I used Wildberry Zinger Tea. I also used Lemon juice and lemoncello and left out the lemon zest. It tastes just like the WIldberry tea!! Yummy!! It made 3 half pints and probably 1/8 pint. I put the little bit leftover in a little bowl to enjoy now. You could probably use whatever herbal tea you like.

[Chef Tweaker]

I don't often give 5 star ratings but I love this more and more as I eat it. I did use powdered pectin according to the package directions and the texture is a bit grainy... but the flavor is still great. I used raspberry zinger but I don't think it changed the flavor any. It tastes like really "zingy" red zinger tea. The extra zing comes from the orange and rind. I only used 1 Tbs of rind because it was fresh and strong. I'm glad I did because more would have been overpowering. The rind does cloud the color but it is SO worth it! I did not have any liqueur. BTW- This made 4 half-pints. I had considered doubling or tripling this in the future but while researching discovered that jelly has to be made in small batches in order to be safe. (boiling time would change) Probably you could do several batches back-to-back and process them at the same time.