Lemon Ground Cherry Jelly – Classic and Low Sugar Recipes
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If you plant ground cherries, you may end up finding yourself swamped with an excess of the little fruits. Lemon ground cherry jelly will help you use up a LOT of ground cherries in a hurry.
This jelly tastes like an old-fashioned lemon drop. Serve it on toast with butter or nut butter and you’ve got a slice of lemony heaven.
Ground cherry jam recipes and ground cherry preserves are more common. We prefer ground cherry jelly over ground cherry jam because the large number of seeds give the jam a gritty texture. The lemon balances the sweetness of the ground cherries, making the flavor of the jelly brighter and yummier.
What are ground cherries?
Ground cherries (Physalis pruinosa) are also known as husk cherries or husk tomatoes. They are native to North America, and part of the nightshade family. Closely related to Cape Gooseberries and tomatillos, the small yellow fruits are wrapped in a papery husk.
The plants are sprawling and fairly low to the ground. As the fruit forms, it looks like small, green lanterns. As it ripens, the husks change color, turning yellow and light brown. When fully ripe, they often fall from the plant.
Four to six plants should provide enough fruit for preserving, baking, and fresh eating for a family of four. The fruits last for weeks in the husk at room temperature.
I used around two 11″x 22″ cardboard bins full of ground cherries to get 3 1/2 cups of juice. This is about 8 – 9 cups of berries without the husk.
If you don’t have enough ground cherries…
For this recipe, you can substitute Cape Gooseberries or very ripe tomatillos for the ground cherries. Make sure your fruit is yellow, not green, for making jelly, jam, or preserves. If you don’t grow your own, you may be able to find them at a farmers market.
Tomatillos are much faster to process than ground cherries because the fruit is so much larger. Most of the time I make this jelly, I use a mix of the two fruits. The riper the better, but it’s fine to include tomatillos that have a slight green tint.
Lemon Ground Cherry Jelly Recipe
This is a traditional style jelly recipe with full sugar and Sure Gel commercial pectin.
Ingredients
- 3 ½ cups ground cherry juice
- ½ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest (preferably organic)
- ¼ teaspoon butter
- 1 package powdered pectin (1.75 oz) (I use Sure Jell)
- 4 cups sugar
Directions
To prepare ground cherry juice, husk and wash ground cherries, run them through a food processor or blender. Cook gently for at least 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until very soft. Drain through jelly bag for several hours or overnight. Avoid squeezing bag to keep juice clear.
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Grate one tablespoon of zest from 1-2 lemon(s). I use a Microplane zester. Juice the lemons to obtain ½ cup juice. (You either need a large lemon or lemons or can substitute a little bottled juice to make up the difference.)
Sterilize six 8-ounce jars, keep hot. Prep rings and lids. Fill water bath canner and bring to boil.
Measure sugar and set aside. In a large saucepan, combine juices and zest, stir in pectin and butter. Bring to full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly.
Immediately add all of the sugar. Bring back to full rolling boil and boil 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
Ladle jam into sterilized jars leaving 1/4″ headspace. Wipe rims clean and screw on the lids. Process for 10 minutes in water bath canner (add 1 minute for every 1,000 feet above sea level).
Makes around 5 half pint jars.
Lemon Ground Cherry Jelly – Classic
This classic recipe for ground cherry jelly with lemon uses Sure Gel and more sugar for a lemon drop flavored treat.
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups ground cherry juice
- 1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest (preferably organic)
- 1/4 teaspoon butter
- 1 package powdered pectin (1.75 oz) (I use Sure Jell)
- 4 cups sugar
Instructions
- Prepare ground cherry juice by husking and washing ground cherries, then running them through a food processor or blender.
- Cook ground cherries gently for at least 15 minutes, until very soft. Drain through jelly bag for several hours or overnight. Avoid squeezing bag to keep juice clear.
- Grate one tablespoon of zest from 1-2 lemon(s). Juice the lemon(s) to obtain ½ cup juice (you either need a large lemon or lemons or can substitute a little bottled juice to make up the difference).
- Sterilize six 8-ounce jars, keep hot. Prep rings and lids. Fill water bath canner and bring to boil.
- Measure sugar and set aside. Combine juices and zest, stir in pectin and butter. Bring to full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Immediately add all of the sugar. Bring back to full rolling boil and boil 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Ladle jam into sterilized jars leaving 1/4″ headspace. Wipe rims clean and screw on the lids. Process for 10 minutes in water bath canner (add 1 minute for every 1,000 feet above sea level). Makes around 5 half pint jars.
For best quality, use your lemon ground cherry jelly without 18 months. Refrigerate any unsealed jars, and refrigerate after opening jars.
The next recipe uses Pomona’s Pectin, which gels with calcium, not sugar. (The calcium for the calcium water is included in the box of pectin.) This allows us to use less sugar, or a non-caloric sweetener like stevia. With Pomona’s Pectin, you can half or double recipes as needed.
Learn more about Pomona’s Pectin here. One package of Pomona’s makes several batches of jelly, jam, or preserves.
PrintLemon Ground Cherry Jelly – Low Sugar
This recipe uses Pomona’s Pectin for gelling, so we can use less sugar, or a sugar substitute, if needed.
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups ground cherry juice
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 3 tablespoons Pomona’s Pectin
- 3 teaspoons calcium water (included in Pomona’s Pectin package)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- Prepare your jars, lids, and rings. Fill water bath canner with water and heat it. Sterilize five 8 ounce jars.
- To prepare ground cherry juice, husk and wash ground cherries, run them through a food processor. Cook gently for at least 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until very soft. Drain through jelly bag for several hours or overnight. Avoid squeezing bag to keep juice clear.
- Grate zest from 1-2 lemons to get 1 tablespoon of zest. Juice lemon(s) to get 1/2 cup juice.
- Add 3 1/2 cups of ground cherry juice into a large saucepan with lemon juice and calcium water. Stir to combine.
- In a medium bowl, combine sugar and pectin powder. Mix thoroughly and set aside.
- Bring fruit juice mixture to a boil over medium high heat. Add sugar-pectin mixture, stirring constantly, until sugar is completely dissolved. Bring jelly to a rolling boil for one minute. Remove from heat.
- Ladle jelly into sterilized jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe rims with a damp cloth. Put on lid and ring, tighten to finger tight.
- Lower jars into canner, making sure they are covered with at least 1-2 inches of water. Place lid on canner, return to boil. Process jars for 10 minutes.
- Turn off heat. Remove jars from canner and place on a kitchen towel on the counter top. Allow to cool for 8 – 24 hours.
- Check seals. Remove rings, date, label and store your lemon ground cherry jelly in a cool, dry location. Makes about 4 cups.
More Homemade Jelly Recipes
These make beautiful and unique Christmas gifts. (You know no one has ever gotten lemon ground cherry jelly before).
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This article is written by Laurie Neverman. Laurie grew up in the kitchen, learning baking and home cooking from her momma. At age 15, she and her mom and two sisters created Irene’s Custom Cakes & Catering. This was her summer job through most of high school and college.
Originally published in 2011, last updated in 2024.