Good morning friends! Ir is a beautiful spring day when I'm writing this post. My windows are open and I can smell the lilacs! Since I have my own trees, I have been picking many branches to decorate my home, because lilacs are my favourite flower (…
Good morning friends! Ir is a beautiful spring day when I'm writing this post. My windows are open and I can smell the lilacs! Since I have my own trees, I have been picking many branches to decorate my home, because lilacs are my favourite flower (well, one my my faves!).
Did you know lilac flowers are edible? It's true! In this post I am sharing how to make an easy lilac jelly with minimal ingredients. I also have a video tutorial showing the steps, which will be linked below.
To make this jelly you will need flowers, water, sugar, lemon slices, a blender, strainer, cooking pot, and a candy thermometer (or any food safe one that reaches 220F). I am putting my finished jelly into canning jars, but you can store yours in any food safe container.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup lilac flowers
2 cups boiling water
2 slices of lemon
2 cups of white sugar
DIRECTIONS
Collect lilac branches from a safe, unsprayed area.
Wash and then remove the flowers into a heat safe container or jug.
Pour 2 cups of boiling water over the flowers and cover. Let it steep for 1 hour.
Add in lemon slices and let it sit for another 10 minutes or so.
Blend this mixture using a blender, food processor, or immersion blender.
Strain using a fine mesh sieve (optional: for clearer jelly, do not squeeze or press the solids. Use a fine cloth for another layer of straining over the sieve).
Combine the liquid with 2 cups sugar in a large pot. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to a medium simmer and cook until the liquid reaches the jelling point of 220F.
Remove from heat and fill jars or containers. Leave to cool at room temp.
This makes a small quantity of jelly so I did not bother canning mine. If you wanted to can yours to make it shelf stable, use a water bath or steam canner and process for 10 minutes in jelly jars. If you live at a higher altitude, add 1 minute of processing time for every 1,000 feet of additional elevation. Otherwise, store the jelly in the fridge and use within 1 month.
Note that this jelly did not become very thick and scoopable when I made it and tested it at room temp. But when it was in the fridge and used, it thickened up a bit. I'm still considering this a successful recipe!
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