Candy thermometer

Any kind will do for jam and jelly making, but after you’ve made a few batches you probably won’t even need it. Before you use it for the first time, put the tip in water at a full rolling boil and take the reading. If it’s not 212°F, the temperature at which water boils at sea level, note how many degrees off it is, and take that into account as you follow a recipe. Jelly cooked to 8°F above the boiling temperature of water will gel, so, for example, if your thermometer reads 208°F at boiling, your jelly will be ready at 216°F rather than 220°F at sea level.