Lavender Jelly Food

LAVENDER JELLY WITH CHAMOMILE

Steps:

• Sterilize jars and keep them hot.
• Pour boiling water over lavender and let steep for 15 minutes add tea bag for five. If not adding chamomile steep lavender for full 20 minutes.
• Strain tea into saucepan.
• Stir in 1 1/2 cups additional water, sugar, lemon juice and coloring.
• Heat to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly for 1-2 minutes.
• Pour in pectin and return to a boil.
• Boil hard for 1 minute stirring constantly.
• Remove from heat and skim off foam.
• I add back a couple of lavender buds.
• Just so you can see them in the jar.
• Pour into hot jars or glasses to 1/2 inch of tops.
• Wipe rims with a sterile cloth.
• Screw on tops.
• Place in a water bath for 10 minutes.
• Let sit in pot 5 more minutes with flame off.
• Remove and place in a draft free spot with out tilting.
• Label.

LAVENDER JELLY

Steps:

• In a large saucepan over high heat bring water just to a boil.
• Remove from heat and stir in dried lavender flowers. Cover and let steep for 20 minutes.
• After 20 minutes, strain mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a deep kettle or pot, discarding the lavender flowers.
• Stir in lemon juice and pectin; continue stirring until the pectin is thoroughly dissolved.
• Over high heat, bring the mixture to a hard rolling boil (a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down).
• Add sugar. When the jelly solution returns to a hard rolling boil, let it boil for 2 to 4 minutes (see below), stirring occasionally.
• Boil Times:.
• 2 minutes - soft gel.
• 4 minutes - medium gel.
• Testing for "jell" (thickness - I keep a metal tablespoon sitting in a glass of ice water, then take a half spoonful of the mix and let it cool to room temperature on the spoon. If it thickens up to the consistency I like, then I know the jelly is ready. If not, I mix in a little more pectin (about 1 teaspoon to 1/2 of another package) and bring it to a boil again for 1 minute.
• After boiling, transfer the jelly into hot sterilized jars. Fill them to within 1/4 inch of the top, wipe any spilled jam off the top, seat the lid and tighten the ring around them.
• Process in a water bath for 10 minutes. Remove jars to wire rack and let cool before serving.
• Makes five 1/2 pints.

LAVENDER JELLY

Steps:

• In a large saucepan over high heat bring water just to a boil. Remove from heat, stir in dried lavender flowers, and let steep for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, strain mixture into a deep kettle or pot, discarding the lavender flowers. Stir in lemon juice and pectin; continue stirring until the pectin is dissolved.
• Over high heat, bring the mixture to a boil then add sugar. When the jelly solution returns to a hard rolling boil, let it boil for 2 to 4 minutes (see below), stirring occasionally.
• Boil Times:.
• 2 minutes - soft gel.
• 4 minutes - medium gel.
• Testing for "jell" (thickness - I keep a metal tablespoon sitting in a glass of ice water, then take a half spoonful of the mix and let it cool to room temperature on the spoon.
• If it thickens up to the consistency I like, then I know the jelly is ready. If not, I mix in a little more pectin (about 1 teaspoon to 1/2 of another package) and bring it to a boil again for 1 minute
• After boiling, transfer the jelly into hot sterilized jars. Fill them to within 1/4 inch of the top. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Adjust time according to your altitude.

LAVENDER APPLE JELLY

Steps:

• Quarter apples (don't peel or core).
• Place in large kettle, add lavender.
• Bring to a boil and then simmer until apples are tender.
• Pour into 3 thicknesses of cheesecloth over colander in bowl and allow the juice to drip overnight.
• Pour 3 cups of juice into large kettle, add sugar.
• Bring to a rapid boil until a drop on a cold spoon forms a hard film.
• Pour into sterilized jars and seal.
• Continue process until all juice is used.

STRAWBERRY-LAVENDER JAM

Steps:

• For this recipe you need 1.5 kg cleaned and hulled strawberries.
• Cut the strawberries into pieces and put into a suited pot.
• Add sugar and lime juice. Mix and let stand for 2 hours.
• Bind the lavender sprigs with the inflorescences together. Add to the strawberries.
• Bring to a boil over medium high heat stirring all the time.
• Let cook for 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Then remove from heat and remove the lavender.
• Add 4 tablespoons of orange juice. If you like you can mash now the strawberries as you would like them in your jam.
• Fill into twist off preserving jars and close jars. Let stand for 1 minute and then turn up side down. Let stand for 10 minutes and turn over again. Let cool completely.
• NOTE on lavender: I use lavender inflorescences while flowering. I cut the leaving about 15cm of the sprig at the inflorescence. If you can't get fresh lavender you can sub it by about 8 teaspoons of dried lavender flowers (but that is a guess).
• NOTE on "Dr. Oetker's Super Gelling Sugar 3:1". Dr. Oetker is a well known brand in Germany. There are several gelling sugars available. The "3:1" super gelling sugar already contains pectin and you only need 1/3 of sugar. If you can't get it, you could also use Dr. Oetker's 2:1 super gelling sugar.