How to Make Wine Jelly with Leftover Wine

Leftover wine… While you may not be familiar with the term, there are actually some wonderful cooking techniques that one can use to make delicious things out of leftover wine.

If you’re still stuck on the idea of leftover wine, here is a scenario to which almost all of us can relate. You invite guests over, drink a majority of a bottle of wine, then leave it out on the table and forget about it for a couple of days, when the last thing on your mind over the weekend is to clean your house. Pretty soon, that wine has successfully turned itself into vinegar. But your mother taught you that it’s never good to let things go to waste, so what can be done?

Turn it into wine jelly! Unwanted wine has a new purpose; to be made into something delicious and long-lasting.

The first step of making wine jelly is to bring the wine to a boil over medium heat in a saucepan. You may want to allow the wine to thicken a bit into a reduction. This will start to bring out the flavors of the wine while simultaneously getting rid of the alcohol. How long you reduce it is really up to you. Just make sure to constantly stir so that the wine does not burn.

For every cup of wine, you will want one more cup of sugar. So, for example, if you have three cups of leftover wine, use four cups of sugar. This may sound like a lot, and you may be tempted to cut back on the sugar, but don’t. The sugar is what helps the jelly congeal into its jelly-like texture. There is no “sugar-free” version of this recipe. Pour the sugar into the boiling wine.

For every 2 cups of wine, use one pouch of liquid pectin, which is a naturally-occurring thickening agent found in fruits that is used for making preserves. Stir in the pectin, as well as a dash of lime juice and a pad of butter for enhanced flavor.

Once all of the ingredients have dissolved into one glorious mixture, it is time to transfer the jelly to canning jars. Use a funnel to pour the jelly into the jars while the mixture is still hot. The heat will seal the jars for you, making it possible to store the wine jelly for a long time without it spoiling.

It usually takes about a day for the jelly to congeal to the right consistency. Be sure to store your jelly in the refrigerator.

Wine jelly can be served on toast or crackers… or anything that you normally use with other types of jelly. One of our favorite uses for wine jelly is topping off a bagel with cream cheese. The contrasting textures and flavors of the wine and the cream cheese really make for a delectable treat. Not only is wine jelly tasty to eat, but it can also make an inexpensive gift!

If you are a lover of wine and food, then you should consider visiting Salem Cross Inn, located in West Brookfield, MA. We serve delicious food in a colonial atmosphere, and we’d love to have you. Make your reservations today!

What are some of your favorite things to do with wine (other than drink it, of course)?