Pomegranate Jelly

I can remember the first time I had a pomegranate; it was high school… lunchtime… I traded a friend (2) plums for a pomegranate, and then she taught me how to eat it — and I was in heaven!

At the time I thought the best thing in the world was cranberry juice; the world changed overnight for me when I discovered pomegranate juice!  But back in the day, it was a rare treat, cause it was so expensive…

Today, it is my favorite juice to have with champagne, so I guess I still consider it kinda fancy!  For this jelly, I harvested the arils from hand picked pomegranates myself, and then hand pressed those ruby gems to get the juice; I avoided using a food mill so to avoid the bitterness that ground seeds or pith could cause.  I then used that juice to make this jelly.  The color is deep and gorgeous, and the clarity is breathtaking… But the taste — the taste is out of this world!  Nice, strong, pure pomegranate flavor; this would be ideal on a slice of pound cake, or some shortbread; I love to make it part of a cheese board — simply exquisite with some charcuterie, cheese and crackers.

However you’re inclined to have it — you’re sure to enjoy it!!