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Daylily Jelly
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Daylily Jelly

Daylily jelly captures the sweet, delicate flavor of summer daylilies in a beautiful golden preserve with notes of fresh peas and cucumber.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time5 minutes
Canning Time (optional)10 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Jelly
Cuisine: American
Keyword: flower jelly
Servings: 40 servings (Makes 4 to 5 half pint jars)

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 4 cups daylily flower petals
  • 4 cups water
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 4 cups sugar
  • 1 box powdered pectin 1.75 oz (Regular Sure Jell) or 6 Tbsp bulk pectin

Instructions

  • Harvest daylily flowers and pull the petals away from the green sepals at the base of each flower. Rinse gently to remove any debris. You'll need about 4 cups of petals.
  • Place petals in a heatproof container (a quart jar works well) and pour 4 cups boiling water over them. Allow the tea to steep for 15 to 20 minutes.
  • Strain the daylily tea into a saucepan or jam pot through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth. Squeeze the petals gently to extract all the liquid.
  • Add the lemon juice to the daylily tea. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the powdered pectin, stirring to dissolve completely. Boil for 1 full minute.
  • Add the sugar, stirring to dissolve. (Do not add the sugar at the same time as the pectin, or the jelly will not set.) Return to a full rolling boil for 1 minute.
  • Ladle into prepared jelly jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace.
  • If canning, process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes (15 minutes above 6,000 feet). Otherwise, allow jars to cool completely before storing in the refrigerator for up to a few weeks or freezer for up to 6 months.

Notes

Identification Caution: Only use flowers from daylilies (Hemerocallis fulva) that you have positively identified. Do NOT confuse with true lilies (Lilium species), some of which are toxic. Daylilies have long, strap-like leaves growing from the base of the plant and leafless flower stalks. True lilies have spiky leaves all the way up the stem and grow from bulbs.
New Food Caution: Some people experience mild digestive sensitivity to daylilies. As with any new food, try a small amount first before consuming larger quantities.

Low Sugar Variation

For a less sweet jelly, use Sure Jell low sugar pectin instead of regular pectin. With low sugar pectin, you can use as little as 1 to 2 cups of sugar. If using Pomona's Universal Pectin, follow the instructions in the box for mint jelly and increase the lemon juice to 1/2 cup.

Altitude Adjustments

  • 0 to 6,000 feet: 10 minutes
  • Above 6,000 feet: 15 minutes

Nutrition

Calories: 81kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 0.01g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.001g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.002g | Sodium: 5mg | Potassium: 6mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 70IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 0.1mg