Did you know that apple jelly exists? Even better- did you know that you can make apple jelly from the waste and scrap materials from your apple desserts or applesauce? Well, you can! Let me show you how you can transform this waste into a delicious apple jelly.

jars of apple scrap jelly sit on a counter in front of a sunflower

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Apple season is always among one of my favorite seasons. While we do have a small orchard planted, the apple trees are not quite big enough to harvest apples. So, we have long had a tradition of heading out to the pastures around our homestead to find the perfect tart wild apples for our applesauce and apple preserves for winter. Our family has had so many special memories from these simple harvests, one of my favorite being when we visited “The Pig Tree”. That was a fun story that ended up with the children and me climbing up into a tree while D protected us from the “wild beast” that showed up during harvesting time. It was definitely a memory I will never forget!

Speaking of applesauce- this is the whole reason apple jelly ever became a household staple for our family. As I looked at the scraps and leftover apple water from our applesauce preserving, I couldn’t help but wonder if there was a possibility that we could use these leftover scraps for something new. The frugal girl within me wanted to make sure that we used as much as we could from these apples; after all, waste not, want not! After experimenting a bit, I was so excited to find out that I could definitely use the leftovers to make something wonderful. What an exciting discovery! Not only could the apple scraps be used, but they could transformed into a delicious, sweet jelly that would have us remembering the fun adventures of apple harvesting all through the winter.

Does Apple Scrap Jelly Exist?

It does indeed! There are a lot of different variations to make apple jelly, but this one is unique because it is made specifically from the leftover, wasted materials of the apples: the cores and peels. That means you’re getting more bang for your buck and less waste, really maximizing the apples.

If you’d prefer to make an apple jelly with full apples and without using the scraps, I recommend this one here from Common Sense Home. But, if you have a lot of leftover waste material from your apples and you’re looking for a way to use them up, then the recipe I’m about to share is the one to use!

What Can I Do With These Apple Scraps?

You might be wondering what you can do with all of your apple scraps after you’ve made a big batch of applesauce or just finished creating some delicious apple pies. It seems so wasteful to just throw it away! Well, now you have a use for them.

Apple scrap jelly is made of the leftover scrap material from the apples like the peels and the cores. By adding sugar and a little lemon juice, you’re on your way to a delicious jelly with apple flavoring made entirely from wasted material!

What is Pectin?

Pectin is a natural thickener found in many fruits and vegetables. It works as a gelling agent, which is why many jams and jellies call for pectin as an addition to the recipe. Foods like blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, rhubarb, elderberries, peaches, sweet cherries, and pears are all low-pectin fruits, which means that they will need an extra dose of pectin to help them gel and set-up. I’ve made jellies from these fruits without pectin, and it can be a long waiting game to find out when it will finally be ready.

Other fruits are already high in pectin. Fruits like apples, bananas, peaches, raspberries, blackberries, and apricots are all already high in pectin, so reaching the gelling point. The best time to preserve apples in apple scrap jelly is when the apples are just slightly under-ripe, as the pectin levels are highest at this point.

My Apple Scrap Jelly Didn’t Set. Now What?

There really is not much worse in the jelly making world than going through the whole process of making jelly only to find it didn’t set. I always like to use at least two different methods before ending the cooking process to really make sure my jelly is at the gelling point.

How to Find the Gelling Point: Is my apple scrap jelly done?

The temperature for the gelling point is 220 degrees (at sea level). I use a meat thermometer (because it’s all I have, but a candy thermometer would probably be better) to help me know exactly when it has finally reached the long awaited 220 degrees. When choosing a thermometer to use, I strongly suggest using a digital one, as these seem to be the most accurate.

As I mentioned before, the gelling point is 220 degrees, so cooking the jelly to this point *should* mean that the jelly will set. However, I want to make sure that my jelly is going to set, so I always use a back-up method. One of the back-up methods I use is the spoon test.

How to do the spoon test for jellies and jams

To do the spoon test, place a metal spoon into the hot jelly. Put the spoon into a bowl, then place it into the freezer for a few minutes. When you take it out of the freezer, it should be a gel consistency. If it’s not, you haven’t reached the gelling point yet, and it’s best to continue to cook.

What’s the Difference Between Jelly and Jam?

The difference between jelly and jam is that jelly does not have fruit in it. Jams contain whole or partial pieces of fruit in them and are chunky, while jellies are smooth and gelled.

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How to Make Apple Scrap Jelly

With no further ado, let’s get to creating and making our own apple scrap jelly using the wasted materials from our apples!