Black Locust Flower Jelly
Black locust flower jelly captures the fragrance of spring locust blooms, and tastes surprisingly like strawberries too!
Servings: 48 servings (makes 5 to 6 half pint jars)
Equipment
- Canning Jars, Lids and Bands
Ingredients
For the Locust Tea
- 4 cups fresh black locust flowers removed from stems
- 4 cups water
For the Jelly
- 4 cups black locust tea strained
- 1/4 cup bottled lemon juice or 1 teaspoon citric acid
- 1 box powdered pectin 1.75 oz, regular, such as Sure-Jell original or 6 Tbsp Bulk Pectin
- 5 cups granulated sugar See Notes for Low Sugar Option
Instructions
- Strip the black locust flowers from their stems, leaving the green sepals on but removing any leaves, twigs, or woody bits.
- Bring the water to a boil and pour it over the flowers. Steep about 15 minutes, then strain into a jam pot. The tea will be mostly clear at this stage. Measure it and add water if needed to reach the full amount.
- Stir in the lemon juice and watch the tea turn bright pink. It balances the sugar, brings out the flavor, helps the pectin set, and adds the acidity needed to safely can the jelly, so don't skip it.
- Bring to a boil, then whisk in the powdered pectin until dissolved and boil hard for 1 full minute. (Do not add the sugar at the same time as the pectin, or before it, or the jelly won't set.)
- Add all the sugar at once and stir to dissolve. Return to a full rolling boil and boil hard for exactly 1 minute, then remove from heat and skim off any foam.
- Ladle hot jelly into prepared jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe rims clean, 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 rest 5 minutes before removing. Cool undisturbed 12-24 hours before checking seals. Or, to skip canning, cool completely and store in the refrigerator for up to a month or the freezer for up to 6 months.
Notes
Flowers Only: Use only the black locust flowers. The leaves, bark, twigs, seed pods, and seeds are not edible and should never be eaten. Be sure of your identification (Robinia pseudoacacia) before harvesting, and gather only from unsprayed trees.
Use Bottled Lemon Juice: Bottled lemon juice has a steady acidity that fresh lemons can't promise, and that acidity is what keeps this jelly safe to can. It also turns the tea pink and brings out the strawberry flavor. Use the full amount, and don't cut it back or swap in fresh. Citric acid works in its place at 1 teaspoon for the 1/4 cup of lemon juice.
Don't Double the Batch: Pectin jellies set on a precise balance of liquid, sugar, and pectin, and a doubled pot often refuses to gel. For more than one batch, cook them one at a time.
Give It Time to Set: Pectin jelly can take 24 to 48 hours to firm up. If it still looks loose the next day, hold off on re-cooking and check the troubleshooting guide first.
Low Sugar Option: For a less sweet jelly, use Sure-Jell Low Sugar or Pomona's Universal Pectin and follow the package directions for mint jelly. With Pomona's, increase the lemon juice to 1/2 cup, since it doesn't contain the added citric acid other pectins do. Reducing the sugar lowers the yield.
Storage: Sealed, processed jars keep on the pantry shelf for 12 to 18 months. Without canning, store in the refrigerator for a few weeks or the freezer for up to 6 months. Refrigerate after opening.
Altitude Adjustments: 0 to 6,000 feet: 10 minutes. Above 6,000 feet: 15 minutes.
Nutrition
Serving: 1Tbsp | Calories: 84kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 0.01g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.001g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.001g | Sodium: 3mg | Potassium: 2mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 0.1IU | Vitamin C: 0.5mg | Calcium: 1mg | Iron: 0.04mg