Spring & Summer Jellies
A simple and popular way to enjoy springtime and summer flowers is to make these into jellies for our toast, to add to yogurt or on a pancake. What’s great about these jellies is that they take little to no equipment and the plant material is growing outside, most likely in your yard.
Here’s a couple of safety tips. You will need to sterilize your jars, bands and lids in boiling water. Removing these are easier with a jar holder and a magnet wand for the metal parts. I have taught myself to use tongs for these purposes but it is much safer with a bit of equipment.
We’re going to make our jellies out of edible flowers from the garden and the wild. Here’s a list of flowers for your consideration and use:
Violet tastes gentle, yet wild.
Dandelion Flower tastes golden like the sun (be sure to use only the yellow petals, not the green sepals).
Lilac tastes sweet and floral.
Elderflower tastes sweet and effervescent like champagne.
Red & White Clover tastes like honey.
Rose tastes amazing and is cooling to the system.
Honeysuckle tastes like honey.
Lavender tastes like it smells.
Comfrey flowers are demulcent and feel deeply healing.
Sunflower tastes like the petals, the golden sun.
Remember that I am a bit allergic to recipes but I also know how important it can be so here’s your jelly recipe (but feel free to change it). This recipe makes 7- ½ pint jars of jelly.
4 cups of edible flowers
4 cups of boiling water
¼ cup lemon juice
4 cups of sugar
1 package of liquid pectin
- Kahla Wheeler
Prepare the jars by allowing them to boil in water for at least 10 minutes. Leave them in the hot water until ready to fill. Combine flowers and boiling water in a bowl to make a tea. Cover the tea and let steep for 40 minutes. Strain out the flower and reserve the liquid in a saucepan. Mix the tea with lemon juice and sugar on medium heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling add pectin and continue to boil for 2 minutes stirring continuously. Ladle jelly into hot jars leaving 1/4” headspace, wipe rims and place lids with rings. Jelly requires refrigeration at this point but can be water bath processed for 10 minutes to become shelf stable. Let water bathed jars rest overnight. Enjoy and give away generously.