Wildflower jelly is a delicious way to celebrate the seasons. The possibilities and combinations that you can create are endless. We make small batches of wildflower jelly throughout each growing season, experimenting with different combinations of flavour and colour. Each batch is unique, capturing the essences of the season it was prepared in.
Endless Possibilities
You can make the jelly using a single type of wildflower or go bolder by creating combinations. You can also try more savoury jellies using herbs. If you are not sure about which wildflowers to try here is a list to get you started.:
- dandelion
- lavender
- elderflower
- hibiscus
- chamomile
- violet
- honeysuckle
- goldenrod
- fireweed
- red clover
- rose petals
- rose hips
- mint
- basil
- coriander
- rosemary
The Basic Technique
The base of the wildflower jelly is an herbal tea which you add lemon, sugar and pectin. Regardless of how colourful the petals are when you begin the process you can expect a murky brown color to develop when the petals bleed into the tea. Don’t worry about this. When you add lemon juice a chemical reaction occurs and the gorgeous colour that you were anticipating should re-emerge. These results will vary of course depending on the colours of your flowers and herbs.
Pectin and Low Sugar Options
Included in this recipe are instructions for a traditional jelly. I find this method keeps it’s colour and stores the longest. I have also included instructions for using your own natural home-made pectin and for lower sugar pectins.
If you like this recipe you might also like Rose Petal Jelly and Simple Strawberry Syrup!
For additional recipe inspiration you might be interested in my favourite recipe book: “Mes Confitures” written by the fairy god mother of jams and jellies. This book is guaranteed to inspire. To find a copy of this book in Canada and in the US *These are affiliate links and lead to Amazon.
Enjoy!
Collect about four cups of wildflower petals. You will want to remove stems and pluck the petals from the flower base, the "green" of wildflowers can taste bitter so only use the petals. Bring six cups of water to a boil and turn off heat. Place your washed wild flower petals into the hot water and let steep for an hour. Strain and reserve four cups of liquid Squeeze one lemon and add the juice of the lemon and four cups of your wildflower infused water to your jelly pan. Bring to a low simmer. Wash your jars with hot water and soap and set aside. Prepare your canner and heat it up.Once the canner is heated sterilize your jars. NOTE: You can skip sterilizing but you will have process your jars for an additional five minutes if you do. Add two pouches of liquid pectin or about 1 half pint jar of home-made apple pectin or for a reduced sugar recipe use 4tsp calcium water and 4 tsp Pomera's pectin. Keep in mind that with rose water there isn't any natural pectin so you need to use quite a bit to get a good set. Bring to a low boil for five minutes and test the set. When you are happy with the set, ladle the mixture into your jars, wipe the rims, place the warmed lids and the rings on the jars and carefully set them into the canner. Following your canners instructions process the jars for five minutes. Turn off the heat and carefully remove the lid. Steam can cause burns so use caution. Let the jars cool for 10 minutes and then using a jar lifter carefully lift them and place them on a cutting board or towel to cool completely. Once the jars have cooled for 24 hours, check their seal. You should hear the occasional pinging sound as they are cooling that gives you an auditory confirmation that your jars have sealed. If you look at the lid of the jar, you should notice that there is a small bump in the lids. This bump depresses as the jars seal "sucking it down". All of the lids should be sucked down. If you press on the center of the lid and that bump pops up, they are not sealed properly. If you should have an issue with a jar not sealing, refrigerate it and eat within a few weeks. Remove the metal rings and wipe the lids and jars with a damp clean cloth. Store the jars without the rings in a cool dark place. Testing the set: Place a saucer in your freezer to chill. When you are ready to test the set, drop a spoonful of the jelly onto the saucer and wait about 20 seconds. You can then determine if the jelly once cooled will be set to your desired consistency. You can boil for another five minutes and test the set again.Dried Petals: You can use dried petals in this recipe. I have done both and have noted no discernible difference in the finished product.
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
I’m so excited to try the jelly fireweed flour
Looks so good.thank you i so want to try
Thank you so much