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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 the things I look forward to in 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 a jelly I love 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: About 1/4 cup, required for safe preserving, so don’t skip it. Use bottled for its consistent acidity. For a more neutral flavor, you can use 1 teaspoon of citric acid powder in place of the lemon juice.
- 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 steep for at least 2 hours at room temperature, or overnight in the refrigerator for a stronger flavor and deeper color.
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 it’s fully dissolved, then bring the mixture to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly.
Add Sugar and Finish
Add the sugar all at once, stirring to dissolve. Return the mixture to a full rolling boil and boil hard for exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Remove from the heat and skim off any foam with a spoon.
Fill the Jars
Ladle the hot jelly into prepared jars, leaving 1/4 inch of headspace. Wipe the rims with a clean, damp cloth, center the lids, and apply the 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.
Like all pectin jellies, it can take 24 to 48 hours to reach a full set, so don’t worry if it still looks loose right after canning. If it doesn’t set after a couple of days, you can use it as a syrup or read through my guide to troubleshooting jelly that didn’t set.
Canning Milkweed Flower Jelly
Canning is optional, but it lets you keep this seasonal jelly on the pantry shelf year-round. If you’d rather not can, let the jars cool completely, then store the jelly in the refrigerator for a few weeks or the freezer for up to 6 months.
To can milkweed jelly, prepare a water bath canner, jars, and lids before you start. After filling the jars and leaving 1/4 inch of headspace, wipe the rims, set on the two-part lids, and tighten the bands to fingertip tight.
Process in a boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes (adjusting for altitude). Turn off the heat and let the jars stand in the canner for 5 minutes, then remove them to cool undisturbed on a towel for 24 hours. Check the seals, refrigerate any that didn’t seal, and store sealed jars on the pantry shelf for 12 to 18 months. Refrigerate after opening.
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 makes about 4 to 5 half-pint jars. The exact yield depends on how much you press the flowers when straining and how long you boil. The finished color ranges from pale pink to deeper rose depending on the flowers, with darker blossoms giving a more deeply colored jelly.
Serving Ideas
Milkweed jelly is delicate and floral, so it shines on simple foods. Spread it on warm biscuits, toast, or scones, spoon it over a soft cheese, or stir a spoonful into hot tea. Its pale pink color and unusual backstory also make it a memorable gift.
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
- Canning Jars, Lids and Bands
Ingredients
For the Milkweed Infusion
- 2 cups milkweed flower clusters, loosely packed, from common milkweed / Asclepias syriaca
- 4 cups water
For the Jelly
- 4 cups milkweed infusion, strained
- 1/4 cup bottled lemon juice, or 1 teaspoon citric acid
- 1 box powdered pectin, 1.75 oz, such as Sure-Jell or Ball Classic, or 6 Tbsp bulk
- 5 cups granulated sugar
Instructions
- Gently rinse the milkweed flowers to remove insects. Place in a heatproof bowl or jar, pour the boiling water over them, and press to submerge. Cover and steep at least 2 hours at room temperature, or overnight in the refrigerator for stronger flavor and color.
- Strain through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth, pressing gently, and discard the spent flowers. Measure the infusion, adding a little water or apple juice if needed to reach the full amount called for.
- Pour the infusion into a large, deep saucepan and add the lemon juice. Whisk in the powdered pectin until dissolved, then bring to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly.
- 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 skim off any foam.
- Ladle hot jelly into prepared jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe rims, center lids, and apply bands fingertip tight.
- Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Turn off the heat and let jars stand 5 minutes, then cool undisturbed 12 to 24 hours before checking seals.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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