Grape Hyacinth Jelly

Grape hyacinth jelly is a stunning preserve that captures the essence of early spring with these fun edible flowers. With its rich purple hue and delicate, sweet floral flavor, this jelly makes a unique addition to your pantry. It’s perfect for spreading on toast, spooning over pancakes, or pairing with creamy cheeses for an elegant charcuterie board. 

While grape hyacinths are often admired in the garden for their beauty, they also offer a surprising sweetness that, when transformed into jelly, is nothing short of enchanting.

If you’ve ever wanted to turn the beauty of spring’s early flowers into a tasty treat, grape hyacinth jelly is the perfect way to do it.

Why Grape Hyacinths?

Grape hyacinths, with their clusters of tiny, bell-shaped flowers in shades of deep blue, violet, and purple, are one of the first signs of spring in many gardens. These flowers, which thrive in cool weather, have a sweet, floral fragrance that is often overlooked. However, their unique flavor, a balance of sweet and slightly musky, makes them an excellent candidate for creating a floral jelly.

Although grape hyacinths are not commonly used in cooking, they have a long history of being used in traditional herbal remedies. The blossoms are non-toxic and have a mild, pleasant flavor that shines when infused in water. When made into jelly, grape hyacinths offer a surprising sweetness with a hint of perfume, making them a perfect springtime preserve. By using these blooms to create jelly, you’re able to enjoy their fleeting beauty long after they’ve passed from the garden.

Edible Flower Safety

When making grape hyacinth jelly, it’s essential to use the correct type of hyacinth. This recipe specifically works with grape hyacinths (Muscari armeniacum), which are safe for consumption. Unlike regular garden hyacinths (Hyacinthus orientalis), grape hyacinths are non-toxic and can be used in edible recipes. Garden hyacinths, on the other hand, contain toxic compounds and should never be used in cooking or consumed in any way.

So, if you’re looking to create this beautiful and flavorful jelly, make sure you’re using grape hyacinths. And, of course, make sure they’re un-sprayed. Some of the fertilizers and herbicides designed for flower gardens aren’t food safe, so make sure you’re harvesting from a garden managed organically.

What Does Grape Hyacinth Jelly Taste Like?

Grape hyacinth jelly offers a floral sweetness that’s lighter than grape but with its own unique flavor. The jelly is delicate yet slightly more complex than other floral jellies, with a hint of muskiness that pairs beautifully with the sweetness of the sugar. The flavor is reminiscent of a blend of wildflowers and honey, with a soft perfume, since you’re eating flowers after all. It’s not overpowering, but rather light and refreshing, with just enough floral complexity to make it interesting.

The deep purple/pink color of the jelly is just as striking as the taste—and it’s a treat for the eyes as much as for the taste buds. If you love floral flavors that are a little more nuanced, grape hyacinth jelly is a perfect choice. It’s light enough to pair with a wide variety of foods but unique enough to stand out on its own.

How to Make Grape Hyacinth Jelly

Like other floral jellies, it’s all about infusing the flowers to create a tea, then adding sugar and pectin to transform that infusion into a preserve. Here’s what you need to make your own grape hyacinth jelly:

• 2 to 4 cups of fresh grape hyacinth blossoms (no stems or green parts)
• 4 cups of water
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 box (1.75 oz) powdered pectin (like Sure-Jell)
• 4 cups granulated sugar (or less if using low-sugar pectin)

The lemon juice helps balance the flavor, but it also adds acidity to make the jelly safe for preserving. Don’t skip the lemon juice!

Beyond safety and flavor, it also gives the jelly a beautiful color. When you make a plain tea with grape hyacinth, it’s kind of a blue grey color. When you add the lemon juice, the color compounds really come alive and it turns a vibrant pink.

How to Make Grape Hyacinth Jelly

Let’s get started on making that delicious grape hyacinth jelly!

First, you’ll want to pick some fresh grape hyacinth flowers. Choose ones that are fresh and free of pesticides—you’ll need about 2 to 4 cups of flowers, depending how intense you want the flavor of your finished jelly.

Gently pull the flowers off the stems, making sure to only use the petals, as the stems and green parts can be a bit bitter. In this case, the “petals” are the little cone shaped flowers, and you’re just avoiding the stems. Unlike when making dandelion jelly or lilac jelly, these pull away easily from their stems without any issues.

Next, place the grape hyacinth petals in a heatproof jar or bowl and pour 4 cups of boiling water over them. Let them steep for 15 to 20 minutes.

You’ll notice the water transform into a lovely, deep purple to blue color, and the fragrance of the grape hyacinths will infuse the liquid.

I like to add the lemon juice at this point, as I think the acidity helps extract more color from the petals. Either way, adding the acidity will give the tea a bright pink color, and you’ll be able to see the final color of your jelly.

I’ve had some people mention that they want to keep the jelly the same purple color, and if you’re making a refrigerator jelly, technically you can skip the lemon juice (it won’t taste as good though). The thing is, boxed pectin contains citric acid for safety and to help the jelly set, so either way, once you add the pectin to make jelly it’s going to turn pink.

Once the steeping time is up, strain out the petals, leaving you with the fragrant purple/pink tea.

Now, pour the strained grape hyacinth tea into a large pot and add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice (if you didn’t already add the lemon juice to the tea).

The acidity of the lemon juice helps balance the sweetness of the sugar and ensures the jelly sets properly. Stir in the powdered pectin and bring the mixture to a boil. Let it boil for 1 minute, stirring frequently, to make sure the pectin is fully dissolved. This step is crucial because the pectin helps the jelly set properly.

Once the pectin has dissolved and the mixture is boiling, stir in the sugar. For a traditional jelly, use a 1:1 ratio of sugar to liquid, which means you’ll need 4 cups of sugar for every 4 cups of grape hyacinth tea. If you prefer a less sweet jelly, consider using a low-sugar pectin and reducing the sugar to 1/2 to 1 cup. Stir the sugar until it’s completely dissolved.

Bring the mixture back to a full boil and let it boil for another minute. This ensures the jelly thickens and reaches the proper consistency. After the final boil, remove the pot from the heat. Ladle the hot jelly into sterilized jars, leaving about 1/4 inch of headspace at the top of each jar. Wipe the rims of the jars clean before sealing them with the jar lids. And that’s it! You now have your very own homemade grape hyacinth jelly.

Canning Grape Hyacinth Jelly (Optional)

If you’d like to preserve your grape hyacinth jelly for longer storage, canning is a fantastic option. It’s a simple process that ensures your jelly stays fresh on the pantry shelf for months to come. To get started, prepare your canning supplies by getting your water bath canner ready with enough water to cover the jars by at least 1 inch. Make sure your canning jars and lids are clean and ready to go.

After ladling the jelly into the jars, wipe the rims clean, place the lids on the jars, and screw on the rings. Next, process the jars in the water bath canner. If you’re at a lower elevation, this typically takes 10 minutes, but if you’re above 6,000 feet, you’ll want to process them for 15 minutes.

Once the jars have been processed, carefully remove them from the canner and let them cool on a towel on the counter. If the jars have sealed properly, you’ll know they’re good to go. They’ll keep in a cool, dark pantry for 12 to 18 months. Just remember to refrigerate the jelly after opening it.