Caramel Apple Cider Jelly

Ingredients

• 5 cups apple cider
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 strip lemon or orange zest
• 1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 package low or no sugar needed powdered pectin
• 1 cup packed brown sugar

Directions

1. If you plan to can the jelly, get the jars and lids ready first. Set 6 half-pint jars on a rack inside a large pot, pour in enough water to submerge them, and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Let the jars boil for 10 minutes, then shut off the heat and leave them sitting in the hot water. While that happens, put the bands and lids in a small saucepan, cover them with water, and warm them over medium heat until the water simmers. Take the pan off the heat and keep the bands and lids in the hot water until you need them.
2. Scoop 1/4 cup of the granulated sugar into a small bowl, then stir in the pectin. In a separate medium bowl, mix the remaining 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar with the brown sugar. Put both bowls aside.
3. Add the apple cider to a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Bundle the cinnamon stick, lemon zest, and cloves in a piece of cheesecloth, then drop the bundle into the cider. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Add the sugar and pectin mixture, stirring the whole time, and let it come back to a full rolling boil. Stir in the remaining sugar mixture and bring it back to a full rolling boil again. Keep it boiling hard for 1 minute.
4. Take the pot off the heat and remove the cheesecloth bundle. Use a cold metal spoon to lift off any foam from the top of the jelly.
5. Ladle the hot jelly into the hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Clean the jar rims, add the lids, and twist on the bands until they are only just tight. Set the jars on the rack in the pot and add enough water to cover them completely. Cover the pot, bring it to a boil over high heat, and boil for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, remove the cover, and leave the jars in the water for 5 minutes. Lift the jars out of the pot and let them sit on the countertop without moving them for 6 hours or overnight.