Lilac Jelly
This delicately floral lilac jelly captures the scent of spring in a jar. Made from a simple lilac tea set with regular pectin, it spreads beautifully on toast and scones and cans for the pantry shelf.
Servings: 80 servings, 5 to 6 half pint (8 oz) jars
Equipment
- Canning Jars, Lids, and Rings
Ingredients
For the Lilac Tea:
- 2 to 4 cups fresh lilac blossoms petals only, no stems or green parts
- 4 cups water
- 4 to 5 whole blueberries or blackberries optional, for color
For the Jelly:
- 4 cups lilac tea strained
- 1/4 cup bottled lemon juice or 1 tsp citric acid
- 1 box Powdered Pectin regular, such as Sure-Jell (1.75 ounce box or 6 Tbsp if bulk)
- 5 cups granulated sugar
Instructions
- Pluck the lilac petals from the clusters, leaving behind all stems and green parts, which are bitter. Place the petals in a heatproof jar or bowl.
- Pour the boiling water over the petals so they're fully submerged. For color, muddle in a few blueberries or blackberries. Cover and steep 15 to 20 minutes.
- Strain the tea through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth to remove the petals and berries. Measure, adding water if needed to reach the full amount.
- Pour the tea into a large pot and stir in the lemon juice. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Whisk in the pectin until fully dissolved and boil hard 1 minute. Don't add the sugar yet, or the jelly won't set.
- Add all the sugar at once and stir to dissolve. Return to a full rolling boil and boil hard exactly 1 minute. Remove from heat and skim off foam.
- Ladle hot jelly into prepared jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe rims, center lids, apply bands fingertip-tight.
- Process in a boiling water bath 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Rest 5 minutes with the heat off, then cool undisturbed 24 hours before checking seals.
Notes
Important Note ~ Lilac flavor varies a lot from plant to plant, so before a full batch, steep a small cup of tea, stir in a little sugar, let it cool, and taste it. Most lilacs make a lovely jelly, but the occasional bush just isn't good, and a quick taste up front saves a batch you won't enjoy.
Adding Color ~ Lilacs don't release much color into the tea, so the jelly is pale on its own and can fade toward gold after canning. Muddle a few blueberries or blackberries into the steeping water for a soft purple that holds up, without changing the flavor.
Yield ~ This recipe makes 5 to 6 half-pint jars (about 3 cups of finished jelly).
Doubling ~ Don't double this recipe. Pectin jelly sets on a precise balance of liquid, sugar, and pectin, and a doubled pot often refuses to gel. Make two single batches back-to-back instead.
Give It Time to Set ~ Pectin jelly can take 24 to 48 hours to firm up. If it's still loose after that, hold off on re-cooking and check the troubleshooting guide first.
Altitude Adjustment ~ Process for 10 minutes at elevations below 6,000 feet, or 15 minutes above 6,000 feet.
Low Sugar Option ~ For a lighter jelly, use Sure-Jell Low Sugar or Pomona's Universal Pectin and follow the mint jelly directions on the package. With Pomona's, raise the lemon juice to 1/2 cup, since it has no added citric acid in the powder. Less sugar also means a smaller yield.
A note on lemon juice ~ The lemon juice is required for safe water bath canning, not just flavor. Use the full 1/4 cup of bottled lemon juice and don't cut it back or swap in fresh. It's also what turns the turquoise tea pink.
Make the Tea Ahead ~ Steep the lilac tea and refrigerate it a day or two, or freeze the strained tea for several months, before turning it into jelly.
Nutrition
Calories: 50kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 0.004g | Fat: 0.04g | Saturated Fat: 0.001g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.001g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 1mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 0.1IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 0.2mg | Iron: 0.02mg
