Salal Berry Jelly from the Oregon coast
For a delectable coastal jelly, purchase a gallon of fresh salal berries while traveling down the Oregon Coast Range – these berries only grow in the coastal areas of the Pacific Northwest. Hint: Cannon Beach offers a bountiful supply of these petite berries. Upon returning with your bounty of wild berries, remove the berries from their stems and rinse them. In a heavy bottom saucepan, which ensures even and thorough cooking, add the berries to one cup of room-temperature water. Bring the berries and water to a boil while crushing the berries with a potato masher and consistently stirring the mixture. Once the berries are completely mashed to a consistency of your liking, remove the berry elixir from the heat and strain overnight in cheesecloth. You’ll finish the jelly the following day. (Fight the urge to squeeze the bag.) This featured Salal Berry Jelly recipe is courtesy of Chef Will Leroux, Corporate Chef at the Wayfarer Restaurant & Lounge in Cannon Beach, Oregon.
Ingredients
- 5cups salal berry juice
- 7cups sugar
- 1packet liquid pectin (chef's choice brand is Certo)
- canning jars for storage
Instructions
Step #1: In a heavy-bottom saucepan, add the salal berry juice and sugar. Bring sugar and juice to a rolling boil before stirring in the pouch of liquid pectin.
Step #2: Bring the liquid back to a rolling boil for one minute – remove the liquid from the heat.
Step #3: Process the liquid in sterilized jars, allowing for 1/8 inch of head-space.
Step #4: Set each jar in a hot water bath for 10 minutes before storing for future use.
Hint:: A jar of jelly can be the perfect addition to any holiday gift basket.