Delectable Violet Jelly

 I am republishing this post for ABCWednesday, because in my opinion, it is a perfect V post for ABCWednesday:)  Visit ABCWednesday for more blogs highlighting the letter U.  Many thanks to the founder, Mrs. Denise Nesbitt, and to Roger for taking over from her.

Violets...dainty little blooms that come up in early spring and if you happen upon a field of them, it looks like a purple blanket.  Who knew these delicate beauties would be the basis for a unique yet common breakfast spread...jelly!  With a subtle flavor that I can only describe as violety, it's smooth, soft and absolute deliciousness.  Violet jelly is the very first jelly I ever made (I came across the original recipe on Blind Pig and The Acorn) and it was the perfect introduction to the craft of canning fruit...pretty easy, all things considered.  The hardest part is picking all the flowers you need (you only want the purple ones).

Delectable Violet Jelly

Ingredients:

Violet tea:
2 cups of violet flowers (no stems or leaves) and 2 cups boiling water

Jelly:
2 cups violet tea
4 tbsp Myers lemon juice with zest and pulp
3.5 tbsp Ball pectin or 3 tbsp + 1 tsp + 1/2 tsp (this amount of pectin will result in a softer consistency that will still spread with a knife but the jelly could not stand on it's own, if you like a firmer jelly, increase the pectin)
4 cups sugar

Directions: 


Make the tea the day before:
Clean the freshly harvested violet flowers with water and put them into a glass bowl (I like glass because it's non-reactive).

Boil 2 cups of water and pour it over the flowers, mixing to saturate them all.  Cover with a plate or lid and let stand overnight.

 Strain the mixture the next day...see how the violet color has seeped from the flowers to the water?

This is what your violet tea will look like...a deep violet color...beautiful!

The next day, in preparation for making the jelly, first sterilized your jars, lids and rings (put them in boiling water for about 10 minutes; keep them in the warm water until you are ready to pour the jelly into them). 

Once they've been sterilized, use tongs to stand them up in a second pot with a little water in the bottom, keeping the heat on medium low (this keeps your jars clean and warm, ready for the boiling mixture, and preventing the glass jars from breaking; it also makes clean up of any drips a little easier).

Now make the jelly.
Pour the violet tea, pectin, and lemon juice into a large pot and bring it to a boil.  Watch as you pour the lemon into it, the color changes from violet to a fuchsia...

Once the mixture is boiling, add the sugar (I like to use a whisk to make sure everything gets blended as quickly as possible).

Stir the mixture and bring it to a rolling boil (meaning it doesn't stop boiling even though you're whisking it).  Keep it at that rolling boil for 1 minute.

Now ladle the hot jelly into the jars.

Use tongs or a rag to move the jars from the pot, careful not to drip water into the filled jars.  Wipe the rims clean with a clean, damp cloth, then place the lid on top and screw on the ring (twist until it won't twist any more but don't over tighten it).


Have a few cake cooling racks and towels set on a table.  Place the jars upside down on the cooling racks for 5 minutes, then turn them right side up.  You will begin to hear a delightful little popping sound as the jars seal.

Of course, you can use a hot water bath, but I have found it unnecessary when following this method.

The recipe will make 4 8oz. jars of jelly.  I decided to make 2 batches; with the first I followed the recipe exactly.  I doubled the recipe for the second batch (I know, it's not typically recommended, but I was using a huge pot, which allowed everything to come to a boil at almost the same rate as the first batch) and the consistency was just like the first batch, so I think doubling the recipe worked out just fine.  

In total, I ended up with 12-8oz. jars, 2-4oz. jars and 1 10oz. jar of violet jelly.  Enough for toast, PB&J (this jelly makes the best PB&J, in my opinion), and sharing for the next year!


Thanks for reading my blog, you are the best f/f/r/s/f's, see you tomorrow,
Lise

Shared on Homestead Barn Hop and  Flour Me With Love...check them out for more interesting posts!