Mayapple Jelly

Wash ripe mayapples, cut away the stem and blossom ends, and any waste parts. Cut the fruit into pieces and place in a large kettle with water to cover. Bring to a boil, then simmer until mayapples are tender, mashing during cooking. Strain the juice through a cheesecloth or let it drip through a jelly bag. To the strained mayapple juice, add lemon juice and sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly, then stir in pectin. Again bring to a boil, stirring constantly, and boil hard until the jelly stage is reached. Remove jelly from heat, skim, and pour into hot, sterilized jelly glasses. Seal at once with hot paraffin. Double the recipe if you have plenty of mayapple juice. The amount used in this recipe is the yield of about 2 cups of sliced mayapples simmered in 3 cups of water. Yield: Four small glasses of pale amber jelly with an almost tropical flavor. Serve mayapple jelly on hot breads or for a dessert with cream cheese and soda crackers. Note: While the author says to seal the jars with paraffin, I think this method is no longer recommended by canning experts, and Id process in a hot water bath instead. From _The Wild Flavor_ by Marilyn Kluger. Los Angeles: Jeremy P. Tarcher, Inc., 1984. Pg. 245. ISBN 0-87477-338-5. Electronic format by Cathy Harned.