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Milkweed flower jelly captures the sweet, honey-like fragrance of summer milkweed blossoms in a delicate, pink jelly. If you’ve ever walked past a patch of blooming milkweed and stopped to breathe in that intoxicating scent, you already know why this jelly is worth making. The flavor is subtle and floral, like wildflower honey with a hint of lilac.
This recipe has been reviewed for safety and accuracy by a Master Food Preserver certified through the University of Cornell Cooperative Extension.
Common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) blooms in early to mid-summer, producing clusters of pink to purple flowers that are beloved by pollinators. The flowers are edible and have been used in traditional cooking for generations. For jelly, you steep the fragrant blossoms in water to create an infusion, then use that floral liquid as the base for a classic pectin based jelly.
This recipe follows the same method as other wild foraged flower jellies like daylily jelly, dandelion jelly, wild violet jelly, clover jelly and elderflower jelly . The key is making a strong infusion from the flowers, then treating it like any fruit juice for jelly making. The lemon juice adds necessary acidity for safe canning and helps the pectin set.
Harvest milkweed flowers when they’re fully open and at peak fragrance, usually in the morning after the dew has dried. Take only what you need and leave plenty for the monarch butterflies and other pollinators that depend on milkweed. A little goes a long way: you only need about 2 cups of flower clusters for a batch of jelly.
Notes from My Kitchen
I started making milkweed jelly after years of admiring the plants in our meadow. The scent of blooming milkweed is one of my favorite things about early summer, and I wanted to find a way to preserve that fragrance. The jelly tastes sweet and floral, like the flowers smell, but also with hints of fresh berries.
The pale pink color is beautiful in the jar, and the flavor is delicate enough to pair with almost anything. I love it on warm biscuits or stirred into tea. It’s also become one of my favorite jellies to give as gifts because the story behind it is so unexpected.
Quick Look at the Recipe
- Recipe Name: Milkweed Flower Jelly
- Recipe Type: Flower Jelly
- Canning Method: Water Bath Canning
- Prep Time: About 20 minutes (plus steeping time)
- Cook Time: About 15 minutes
- Canning Time: 10 minutes for half pints
- Yield: About 4 to 5 half pints
- Jar Sizes: Half pints or quarter pints
- Headspace: 1/4 inch
- Ingredients Overview: Milkweed flowers, water, lemon juice, pectin, and sugar
- Safe Canning Recipe Source: Standard flower jelly method
- Difficulty: Easy
- Similar Recipes: This recipe uses the same method as you use for making other common floral jellies, including rose petal jelly, pansy jelly, tulip jelly and forsythia jelly.
Ingredients
This recipe uses standard powdered pectin (like Sure-Jell or Ball Classic) and follows the same method as other flower jellies. The milkweed flowers provide flavor and color, while lemon juice adds the acidity needed for safe canning and proper gel. Do not skip the lemon juice!
- Milkweed Flower Clusters: About 2 cups loosely packed. Use only the flower portions, not stems or leaves. Harvest from common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) when fully open and fragrant.
- Boiling Water: 4 cups for making the infusion.
- Bottled Lemon Juice: This is required for safe preserving, don’t skip it!
- Powdered Pectin: 1 box (1.75 oz), like Sure-Jell or Ball Classic. If using bulk or flex-batch pectin, use 6 tablespoons.
- Granulated Sugar: This is a full sugar jelly, with equal parts sugar and milkweed tea.
Be absolutely certain of your plant identification before harvesting. Common milkweed has distinctive opposite leaves, milky sap, and clustered pink-purple flowers. Dogbane is a toxic look-alike with similar flowers but narrower leaves and a different growth habit.
If you’re not 100% confident in your identification, don’t harvest.
Step by Step Instructions
Once you’ve made the tea, this jelly comes together quickly. Be sure to prepare a waterbath canner (if canning) after the flowers infuse, but before you start making the jelly.
Make the Infusion
Gently rinse the milkweed flower clusters to remove any insects. Place the flowers in a heat-proof bowl or jar. Pour 4 cups of boiling water over the flowers, pressing them down to submerge.
Cover and let steep for at least 2 hours at room temperature, or overnight in the refrigerator for a stronger infusion.
Strain the Infusion
Strain the infusion through a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth, pressing gently on the flowers to extract all the liquid. Discard the spent flowers. Measure 4 cups of infusion for the jelly. If you’re short, add a little water or apple juice to reach 4 cups.
Make the Jelly
Pour the 4 cups of milkweed infusion into a large, deep stainless steel saucepan. Add the lemon juice. (Don’t forget the lemon juice!)
Whisk in the powdered pectin until completely dissolved. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly.
Add Sugar and Finish
Add the sugar all at once, stirring to dissolve. Return to a full rolling boil and boil hard for exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and quickly skim off any foam.
Fill Jars
Ladle the hot jelly into prepared jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace. Wipe rims clean, center lids on jars, and apply bands to fingertip tight.
Setting Notes
This jelly uses powdered pectin with a full sugar ratio, so it should set reliably provided you follow the order of operations. Be sure to add the pectin first and boil 1 minute before adding the sugar.
If the jelly seems soft after canning, give it 24 to 48 hours before deciding it hasn’t set. For more information on getting jelly to set properly, see my post on troubleshooting jelly set.
Canning Milkweed Flower Jelly
Without canning, milkweed flower jelly will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks or in the freezer for up to a year. For shelf-stable storage, process the filled jars in a boiling water bath.
Prepare your water bath canner while the jelly is cooking. Lower the filled jars into the canner, making sure they’re covered by at least 1 inch of water. Process for 10 minutes for half pints, adjusting for altitude as noted below.
After processing, turn off the heat and let the jars stand in the canner for 5 minutes before removing. Let jars cool undisturbed on a towel-lined counter for 12 to 24 hours. Check seals before storing.
Altitude Adjustments
For water bath canning, processing times increase at higher elevations:
- 0 to 6,000 feet: 10 minutes
- Above 6,000 feet: 15 minutes
Yield Notes
This recipe yields about 4 to 5 half pints. You’ll need approximately 2 cups of loosely packed milkweed flower clusters to make the infusion.
The color of the finished jelly varies depending on the flowers, ranging from pale pink to a deeper rose. Darker flowers produce a more intensely colored jelly.
Serving Ideas
Milkweed flower jelly has a delicate, honey-like flavor that pairs well with mild foods. Spread it on warm biscuits, scones, or toast where the subtle floral notes can shine. It’s also lovely on cream cheese with crackers for a simple appetizer.
Stir a spoonful into hot tea for a touch of sweetness with floral undertones. Use it as a glaze for vanilla pound cake or cheesecake, where the pale pink color looks beautiful against white.
This jelly makes a wonderful gift because of its unusual origin. Include a note explaining what milkweed is and why you chose to preserve its flowers. Most people have never tasted anything like it.
Milkweed Flower Jelly FAQs
Yes, common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) flowers are edible and have a long history of traditional use. However, proper plant identification is essential. Dogbane is a toxic look-alike with similar flowers. If you’re not 100% confident in your identification, don’t harvest.
Harvest when the flower clusters are fully open and at peak fragrance, usually in early to mid-summer. The best time of day is morning after the dew has dried. Take only what you need and leave plenty for pollinators, especially monarch butterflies.
The flavor is subtle and floral, often compared to wildflower honey with hints of lilac or jasmine. It’s delicate rather than bold, making it a good choice for pairing with mild foods where stronger flavors might overwhelm.
This recipe is written for common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca), which has the most fragrant flowers. The edibility of other species of milkweed isn’t confirmed, so stick with the common edible variety.
Flower Jelly Recipes
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Milkweed Flower Jelly
Equipment
- Half Pint Mason Jars
- Canning lids and bands
- Large Deep Stainless Steel Saucepan
- Fine Mesh Strainer or Cheesecloth
Ingredients
- 2 cups milkweed flower clusters, loosely packed, from common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)
- 4 cups boiling water, for infusion
- 1/4 cup bottled lemon juice
- 1 box powdered pectin, 1.75 oz, like Sure-Jell or Ball Classic (or 6 Tbsp bulk)
- 4 cups sugar
Instructions
- Gently rinse milkweed flowers. Place in a heat-proof bowl, pour 4 cups boiling water over flowers, pressing to submerge. Cover and steep at least 2 hours at room temperature, or overnight in refrigerator for stronger flavor.
- Strain through fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth, pressing gently on flowers. Discard spent flowers.
- Pour 4 cups infusion into a large, deep saucepan. Add bottled lemon juice. Whisk in pectin until dissolved. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly.
- Add sugar all at once, stirring to dissolve. Return to a full rolling boil and boil hard for exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and skim foam.
- Ladle hot jelly into prepared jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe rims, center lids, and apply bands to fingertip tight.
- Process in a boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes for half pints, or 15 minutes above 6,000 feet in elevation. Let stand in canner 5 minutes before removing.
Notes
Harvesting Tips
Harvest when flowers are fully open and at peak fragrance, usually early to mid-summer. Take only what you need and leave plenty for pollinators, especially monarch butterflies.Color Variation
The finished jelly color ranges from pale pink to deeper rose depending on the flowers. Darker flowers produce more intensely colored jelly.Altitude Adjustments
- 0 to 6,000 feet: 10 minutes
- Above 6,000 feet: 15 minutes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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