Jelly or Muslin Bags

A jelly is a clear form of jam containing the juice rather than the flesh from the cooked fruits. The juice and pulp are separated by straining through a very fine seive; a jelly bag. Jelly bags are also known as muslin bags as they are traditionally made from muslin. The usually look like an inverted wizzard's hat; conical with the point at the lower end.

Although a commercial jelly bag is convenient, a thick pillow case, tea towel or similar material can be used as a substitute. Always assume that the material will be stained by the jam mixture, so don't use a pillow case you want to keep for pillows!

A jelly bag is filled with the cooked fruit pulp and then suspended over a bowl to collect the juice that drips out. Twelve hours is a typical length of time to allow for the seperation to be completed, so the process is often conducted over night.

Once the juice has stopped dripping, DO NOT squeeze the bag. This will force pulp through the bag and produce cloudy juice, and thus cloudy jelly.