Making jelly or preserves without added pectin is pretty simple. You just cook it until it "sheets." That means every so often you dip a metal spoon in the stuff as you cook it. Hold the bowl of the spoon perpendicular to the pot, and let the stuff drip back in. At first, it will just run back in a series of single drips. When your preserves reach the sheeting point, the drops will join together along the edge of the spoon, and will look like a "sheet" of jelly or preserves. At this point, it is jelled enough.

This works best with fruits that have a lot of natural pectin (like apples.) You can add apple to other fruits or berries, or add crab-apple (just a little: lots of pectin, but they're tart)--- that'll give you good results.