Pansy Jelly

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5 from 2 votes

Pansy jelly captures the fresh spring berry flavor of pansies sweet floral jelly.

Prep Time15

Cook Time5

Canning Time (optional)10

Total Time30

Course: Jelly

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Floral Jelly

Servings: servings (makes 5 to 6 half pint jars)

Author: Ashley Adamant

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Pansy Tea

4 cups fresh pansy blossoms or other edible viola
4 cups water

For the Jelly

4 cups pansy 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

Harvest the pansy blossoms into a heat-proof container. No need to remove the sepals or bases; they're edible and don't carry the bitterness found in some other flowers.
Pour the boiling water over the blossoms and steep 15 to 20 minutes, then strain into a jam pot. The tea will be turquoise blue-green at this stage. Measure it and add water if needed to reach the full amount.
Stir in the lemon juice, which turns the tea pink to purple. It balances the sugar, 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

Use Edible, Unsprayed Flowers: All violas are edible (garden pansies, wild violets, Johnny jump-ups), but make sure any flower you use is a known edible variety, picked from a clean spot with no herbicides or pesticides, not roadsides or ditches. As with any new food, go easy the first time, and if you have a health condition, note that many edible flowers also have mild herbal actions worth a quick check.

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 turquoise tea pink. 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. (You can split into half batches with 3 Tablespoons of pectin each, or use 2 cups of flowers for a lighter jelly.)

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