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Elderflower Jelly
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4 from 4 votes

Elderflower Jelly

Capture the essence of elderflower blossoms in this beautiful floral jelly.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Canning Time10 minutes
Total Time10 minutes
Servings: 5 half-pint jars
Author: Ashley Adamant

Ingredients

  • 2 to 4 cups elderflower blossoms de-stemmed
  • 4 cups water
  • 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
  • 1 to 4 cups sugar*
  • 1 box 1.75 oz pectin (regular or low sugar)

Instructions

  • Working carefully, separate the elderflower blossoms from their stems, making sure to remove all green parts.
  • Pour 4 cups of boiling water over the flower blossoms in a heatproof container and let the tea infuse for about 10 minutes (I like to use a large Pyrex measuring cup with a pouring spout for this step).
  • Carefully strain the elderflower tea infusion into a saucepan using a fine mesh strainer.
  • Stir the lemon juice into the elderflower infusion and bring the mixture to a boil.
  • Add the pectin and stir to dissolve.
  • Let the mixture boil for a full minute, and then stir in the sugar. If the pectin and sugar are added at the same time the jelly won't set, so make sure these pectin and sugar are added a full minute apart.
  • Bring the mixture back to a boil and cook for 1 minute.
  • Ladle the elderflower mixture into 1/2-pint jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace at the top.
  • If canning the elderflower jelly: apply 2-part lids until fingertip tight and then load the jars into a hot water bath canner; process for 10 minutes.
  • If you don't want to can the elderflower jelly, simply apply 2-part lids and let the jelly sit at room temperature until cool. Store in the fridge for up to a month or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Notes

*Lowering sugar will also lower yield, and the yield of 5 half-pints is for a full sugar recipe.

If using standard pectin, you must use a 1:1 ratio of liquid to sugar. That means for 4 cups flower blossom tea you'd need a minimum of 4 cups sugar to get the jelly to set. That results in a very sweet "old-fashioned" jelly. To reduce the sugar, simply use low sugar pectin instead and then make the jelly as instructed but using less sugar. I suggest Sure Jell no sugar, which is very dependable.
If using Pomona's Universal Pectin, the instructions are different as that is a 2 part low sugar pectin. Follow the instructions provided in the Pomona's box for mint jelly.
If using liquid pectin, the order of operations is different (pectin is added last, sugar first). Liquid pectin also requires a lot more sugar to set (7 cups sugar to 4 cups liquid). I don't recommend liquid pectin because of the high sugar levels required for set, but it will work if that's your preference.