Post by highlandview on Apr 20, 2011 16:40:05 GMT -5
We have had so much rain that our property is loaded with wild violets. So, the kids and I made wild violet jelly.
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Here is a link to my recipe
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Wild Violet Jelly
Ingredients:
2 cups of wild violet petals
2 1/4 cups of boiling water
1/4 cup of lemon juice
1/4 tsp butter
1 box of pectin (1.75 oz.) Sure-Jell Certo Fruit Pectin, 6-Ounce Boxes (Pack of 4)
4 cups of sugar
You will also need basic canning supplies Back to Basics 286 5-Piece Home Canning Kit
Directions:
1. Tell your kids that you are thinking of making wild violet jelly. In a flash, they will return with oodles of wild violets. Remove the stems and wash thoroughly.
2. Place the clean petals in a glass bowl and pour 2 1/4 cup of boiling water over the petals. Place a lid on the bowl and let the infusion sit on the counter overnight or up to 24 hours.
3. Line a strainer with a paper towel and strain the infusion reserving the flower juice and discarding the petals. Squeeze the petals in the paper towel to extract every bit of flower juice. The result is the following electric blue liquid.
4. Take a minute to prepare your canning apparatus - Bring your boiling hot water bath (BWB) to a boil. Place five clean jelly jars into the BWB to keep hot and sterile until you are ready to fill them. Bring a little bit of water to a boil in a small sauce pan and place your jelly lids in the sauce pan - reduce this pan of water to a simmer and keep lids in the hot water until you need them. Now - back to the jelly. Add the 1/4 cup of lemon juice to the flower juice and watch it turn the beautiful violet color pictured below.
5. Into a pot, combine the flower water/ lemon juice mixture, 1/4 tsp of butter and the box of pectin. Bring the mixture to a boil stirring occasionally. Quickly add the 4 cups of sugar. Return the mixture to a hard boil stirring occasionally and boil one minute. Remove the mixture from the heat. Skim any foam off the top off the jelly and discard.
6. Pour jelly into jelly jars leaving a 1/4 inch of head space. Use a plastic utensil to remove air bubbles from each jar of jelly. You do this by inserting the utensil into each jar with an up and down motion. Wipe off the top of each jelly jar making sure there is no jelly there that might prevent a good seal. Place a hot lid on each jar and tighten down with a clean screw band.
7. Place the jars into the BWB for ten minutes. The water should be boiling when you drop the jars into the BWB.
8. Remove the jars and leave undisturbed for twenty four hours so that they can gel properly.
Tips - I am hoping to press and dry some violets and modge podge them onto pretty labels for these jars. The jelly has a light, sweet flavor. Wild violets have medicinal properties including anti-inflammatory and respiratory benefits. Wild violets are rich in Vitamin A.
The girls and I picked dandelions today and we are going to try making jelly with them tomorrow. We also sugared some of the violets to maybe top some of the Easter desserts.
***************************************************
Here is a link to my recipe
***************************************************
Wild Violet Jelly
Ingredients:
2 cups of wild violet petals
2 1/4 cups of boiling water
1/4 cup of lemon juice
1/4 tsp butter
1 box of pectin (1.75 oz.) Sure-Jell Certo Fruit Pectin, 6-Ounce Boxes (Pack of 4)
4 cups of sugar
You will also need basic canning supplies Back to Basics 286 5-Piece Home Canning Kit
Directions:
1. Tell your kids that you are thinking of making wild violet jelly. In a flash, they will return with oodles of wild violets. Remove the stems and wash thoroughly.
2. Place the clean petals in a glass bowl and pour 2 1/4 cup of boiling water over the petals. Place a lid on the bowl and let the infusion sit on the counter overnight or up to 24 hours.
3. Line a strainer with a paper towel and strain the infusion reserving the flower juice and discarding the petals. Squeeze the petals in the paper towel to extract every bit of flower juice. The result is the following electric blue liquid.
4. Take a minute to prepare your canning apparatus - Bring your boiling hot water bath (BWB) to a boil. Place five clean jelly jars into the BWB to keep hot and sterile until you are ready to fill them. Bring a little bit of water to a boil in a small sauce pan and place your jelly lids in the sauce pan - reduce this pan of water to a simmer and keep lids in the hot water until you need them. Now - back to the jelly. Add the 1/4 cup of lemon juice to the flower juice and watch it turn the beautiful violet color pictured below.
5. Into a pot, combine the flower water/ lemon juice mixture, 1/4 tsp of butter and the box of pectin. Bring the mixture to a boil stirring occasionally. Quickly add the 4 cups of sugar. Return the mixture to a hard boil stirring occasionally and boil one minute. Remove the mixture from the heat. Skim any foam off the top off the jelly and discard.
6. Pour jelly into jelly jars leaving a 1/4 inch of head space. Use a plastic utensil to remove air bubbles from each jar of jelly. You do this by inserting the utensil into each jar with an up and down motion. Wipe off the top of each jelly jar making sure there is no jelly there that might prevent a good seal. Place a hot lid on each jar and tighten down with a clean screw band.
7. Place the jars into the BWB for ten minutes. The water should be boiling when you drop the jars into the BWB.
8. Remove the jars and leave undisturbed for twenty four hours so that they can gel properly.
Tips - I am hoping to press and dry some violets and modge podge them onto pretty labels for these jars. The jelly has a light, sweet flavor. Wild violets have medicinal properties including anti-inflammatory and respiratory benefits. Wild violets are rich in Vitamin A.
The girls and I picked dandelions today and we are going to try making jelly with them tomorrow. We also sugared some of the violets to maybe top some of the Easter desserts.