Combine the berries and the water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Strain the juice by pouring the cooked berries into a jelly bag hanging over a bowl. (Tie the corners together and slip a wooden spoon through, under the knot. Hang the spoon between two chairs. (See photo above.)
If you don’t have a jelly bag, you can makeshift one by using a clean damp tea towel (it will become stained) or layering 3 to 4 sheets of cheesecloth into a colander. Moisten the cloth, add the berries, gather up the corners, and tie them into a bundle. Leave the fruit to drip for 3 to 4 hours – until you have 3½ cups (860ml) juice. Do not squeeze the fruit or you’ll have cloudy jelly. If you don’t get quite enough juice, you can top it up with water to make 3½ cups.
Prepare and sterilize canning jars. Run clean jars through the hottest setting in your dishwasher and leave them in there to stay hot until you need them. Set the metal lids into a saucepan and cover them with water. Bring them to a simmer and leave them simmering on low heat, to fish out of the water directly when you seal the jars.
In a large saucepan, combine 3½ cups prepared saskatoon berry juice, lemon juice, rosewater (if using) and sugar. The pot should be no more than half full to allow plenty of room for the boiling jelly. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat.
Stir in the liquid pectin, squeezing all the pectin out of the pouches. Boil hard for one minute, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat and skim off any foam floating at the top of the jelly.
Working quickly, pour the jelly into warm, sterilized jam jars to within ¼ inch of the top. Wipe any drips on the rims of the jars with a clean, damp cloth. Cover with sterilized lids and seal, screwing jars finger-tight. Let cool undisturbed. You should hear the lids “pop” as they seal and see that the vacuum has sucked the lid down so it doesn’t move when pressed with a finger (but don’t press the lids until the jars are completely cooled.)
If any jars didn’t seal (the lid will still bulge upward slightly and moves when pressed with a finger), store those jars in the refrigerator and use within a few months.
Makes 8 cups (8 half-pint/250ml jars).
Notes
* The jelly might not set if you double the recipe – make one batch at a time.You can omit the rosewater and still have a wonderful, simple saskatoon jelly with a full fruit flavour.Rosewater is made by steeping rose petals in water – pure, simple, edible rose essence. It can be found in import stores and some large supermarkets.Bottled reconstituted lemon juice is recommended in jelly making since its acidity is standardized – more reliable than using fresh lemon juice, which can vary greatly in acidity levels. A certain amount of acidity is necessary in jelly making to ensure a pH level that will promote jelling and prevent spoilage.