Basil Jelly Food

BASIL JELLY

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, bring water and basil to a boil. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 10 minutes. Strain and discard basil. Return 3-2/3 cups liquid to the pan. Stir in pectin and, if desired, food coloring. Return to a rolling boil over high heat. Stir in sugar. Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; skim off foam., Ladle hot liquid into hot half-pint jars, leaving 1/4-in. headspace. Wipe rims. Center lids on jars; screw on bands until fingertip tight. , Place jars into canner with simmering water, ensuring that they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil; process for 15 minutes. Remove jars and cool.

EASY BASIL JELLY

Steps:

• Bring 1 cup of the apple juice to a rolling boil and pour over the crushed basil leaves; let rest for 25 minutes.
• Strain liquid into large saucepan and add the other 2 cups of apple juice, vinegar, and green coloring, stirring to blend.
• Bring to a hard boil, and stir in sugar and pectin and return to a hard boil, stirring constantly, and cooking until jelly point is reached.
• Remove from heat and skim off the foam with a slotted spoon; remove leaves from jelly with a slotted spoon.
• Pour mixture into sterilized half-pint jars (you will need 3-4), leaving 1/2" of headroom at the top.
• Attach lids and bands, and process for 15 minutes in a water bath canner.
• When cool, check the seals.
• Refrigerate promptly any that do not seal properly, and remove bands from the others and store in a cool, dry area.

BASIL JELLY

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, bring water and basil to a boil. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 10 minutes. Strain and discard basil.
• Return 3 2/3 cups liquid to the pan. Stir in pectin and food coloring. Return to a rolling boil over high heat. Stir in sugar. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; skim off foam.
• Pour hot liquid into hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Adjust caps. Process for 15 minutes in a boiling water bath.

PURPLE BASIL AND LEMON JELLY

Steps:

• 1. The most tedious job is to separate the leaves from the stalks. The leaves should make a full cup.
• 2. Chop the stalks into small chuncks, put into a saucepan, add water and heat on low to boil.
• 3. As soon as the bubbles start rising, add the basil leaves and the citric acid.
• 4. It should be boiling again quite soon, so as soon as it does, add the sugar.
• 5. Let the sugar dissolve, simmer for one more minute and remove from heat.
• 6. When it has cooled down to body temperature, strain the liquid, throw away the leaves and stalks.
• 7. Squeeze in the lemon juice and add the pectin or agar-agar (or your favourite gellant but not gelatine!) according to the instructions on the package BUT keep in mind that the yield of this recipe is just over half a liter, so adjust the dosage.
• 8. Taste for sweetness/acidity balance and add a bit more sugar or acid (lemon juice) if required.
• 9. Bring to boil on low heat again, let boil for no longer than 3 minutes or the gellant will break down.
• 10. Pack in glass jars. I prefer to have the small jars and lids boil for a while then drip-dry before pouring in the jam. Hot lids ensure better insulation,.
• 11. Taste, enjoy and share with your friends or as gifts to those who would appreciate!

LEMON BASIL JELLY

Steps:

• Place basil in apple juice, hot water and vinegar. Bring to a boil and let steep covered for 30 minutes.
• Strain and place 3 1/2 cups liquid into a pot.
• Stir in pectin and bring to a a full rolling boil.
• Add sugar and honey and return to a full rolling boil. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
• Ladle into sterile jars leaving 1/4 inch head space. Wipe rims clean and apply lids and bands.
• Process in a hot water bath covered by 1-2 inches of water for 10 minutes.
• Shut off flame for 5 minutes.
• Remove without tilting the jars.
• Set on a flat surface in a draft free place 12-24 hours.
• Remove bands and wipe jars.
• Label and store in a dark place for 1 year.

FRESH BASIL JELLY

Steps:

• Bring water, vinegar and lemon juice to a boil in a large pot. Reserve 10 basil leaves. Bruise the remainder, add to the pot, remove from the heat, cover and let steep for 15 minutes. Add the sugar and vegetable coloring, return to heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves. When the syrup is at a full rolling boil, add the pectin, boil for 1/2 minute and remove from heat. Place 2 basil leaves in the bottom of each of 5 hot, sterilized 8-ounce jelly glasses . Strain the jelly into glasses through a fine sieve. Cool and cover with a layer of thin paraffin. When the paraffin has hardened, cover the glasses and store.

THAI BASIL PEPPER JELLY

Steps:

• To Make Thai Basil-Infused Vinegar:.
• Place fresh Thai Basil and place it in a quart canning jar. Fill jar with white vinegar to top, place lid on jar and let vinegar mixture sit at room temperature (in a cool, shaded spot) for 2 weeks. After two weeks, strain vinegar and discard basil.
• To Make Jelly:.
• Combine the minced vegetables, dried basil, 1 1/2 cups infused vinegar and sugar in a large saucepan. Bring to a full boil then add the pectin. Return to a hard boil, stirring constantly for 1 full minute. Ladle hot jelly into prepared, half-pint canning jars and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
• Note: Any remaining infused vinegar can be stored in a glass bottle and used for viniagrette dressing, marinades, etc.

LEMONADE JELLY WITH BASIL

Steps:

• Warm the lemon juice, 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) water, and the sugar to boiling. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Roughly tear the basil leaves and put them in a small bowl. Pour the lemon juice mixture over the basil leaves and let steep for at least 15 minutes.
• Pour the orange juice into a small saucepan and sprinkle the gelatin over its surface. Let the gelatin soften for 5 minutes, then warm the pan over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the gelatin is fully dissolved. Turn off the heat.
• Strain the basil out of the lemon juice and whisk the juice into the gelatin mixture. Pour the liquid into six small cups or a 1-quart (1-L) dish. Refrigerate for 2 hours, or until softly set. Garnish with whipped cream and basil leaves to serve.
• Lemon-Basil Jelly Skewers
• To make little bites for a party, double the amount of gelatin in this recipe to 6 full teaspoons. Pour the mixture into an 8- or 9-inch (20- or 23-cm) square baking dish and let it set overnight in the refrigerator. Cut it into 1-inch (2.5-cm) squares, or use a small cookie cutter to cut out 1-inch (2.5-cm) circles. Skewer one or two pieces on a toothpick or party pick with a leaf of fresh basil folded and skewered at one end. Chill until ready to serve, and pass a bowl of whipped cream for dipping.
• Easy Flavor Variations
• Real Lime Jelly For real lime jelly (with the taste of fresh limes and no nasty green food coloring), substitute juice from 7 to 8 limes for the lemon juice. Substitute water for the orange juice. Meyer Lemon Jelly with Lavender Extra-sweet, less acidic Meyer lemons are also wonderful in this jelly, especially with the herbal-floral taste of lavender. Simply substitute Meyers for the regular lemons. You may need one or two extra lemons, as Meyer lemons are generally smaller. Instead of steeping basil in the juice, steep 1 tablespoon dried food-grade lavender buds. Strain after 10 minutes and proceed as directed above.