Making Herbal Jelly is fun and extends the harvest for all those herbs you planted this spring. It also makes a wonderful gifts for teachers, co-workers, and gift exchanges. Herbal jelly are unusual. It great to have these gifts ready when you need them.

Using juice instead of water, the number of flavor combinations is quite numerous.

Gather your basic supplies for jelly making.

• ½ pint Jars, washed in dishwasher or hand washed
• New lids
•  Rings
• Pectin (dry or liquid)
• Pots: water bath caner, stock pots, small saucepan
• Jar lifter
• Tongs
• Ladle
• Juice
• Herb
• Sugar
• Butter

Pick your herbs and thoroughly wash, check out part one of harvesting herbs for washing instructions. Try and pick them around mid morning after the dew has dried but before the sun is too hot. Pat the herbs dry.

To make infusion: Measure out the juice with a little extra and place in stock pot and add the herbs. Cover and heat the juice and herbs to almost boiling, turn off heat and allow the herbs to steep for about 20 minutes. Strain out the herbs and carefully measure out the amount needed for the recipe. Compost the herbs. When straining herbs, they do take up some of the liquid; this is the reason for a little extra.

To Sterilized the jars:  Place the washed jars in a stockpot with a cloth lining the bottom of the pan and bring to a boil and boil for 10 minutes to sterilize the jars. I like to use a clean new dishcloth in the bottom of the pan when sterilizing jars so they don’t rattle around.

Place the lids in a small saucepan and cover with water and heat. Both the jars and the lids should be hot when pouring in the jelly and sealing. Start heating the water in the caner.

Making the jelly: Measure out the sugar and set aside.

Chocolate Mint jelly recipe:  Follow directions for making powdered pectin recipes

• 4 c. apple juice
• 4 c. sugar
• 1 box of powdered pectin
• 1 c. mint leaves for infusion, follow directions for making infusion
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• ½ tsp. butter
• Food coloring if desired, I do not use

Basic recipe for making jelly using powdered pectin: (Sugar is added last)

• 3 c. fruit juice or water
• 1 c. fresh herb
• 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice, can used bottled, or some recipes use vinegar
• 1 pkg. powdered pectin
• 4 c. sugar
• ½ tsp. butter
• Food coloring if desired

In a large stock pot with about 8 to 10 quarts capacity with a wide flat bottom is great for most jelly recipe, add the infusion, lemon juice or vinegar, butter and dry pectin.  Bring to a rolling boil, stirring constantly. Once the boil cannot be stirred down, add the sugar and bring back to a rolling boil. Once the boil cannot be stirred down, boil for exactly one minute. Use a clock with a minute hand. Remove from heat. Skim off foam using a metal spoon.

Ladle the hot mixture into the hot jars, Wipe off the rim of the jar with a wet cloth, and place lid and ring and tighten. Turn over jar with jelly to coat the lid. Place the sealed jars in the hot water canner and bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes. Take out of the caner and place on protected surface to allow cooling. The seals should pop as they cool down, if for some reason they do not, plan on using the jelly and storing it in the refrigerator.

Basic recipe for making jelly using liquid pectin, (Pectin is added last)

• 2 c. fruit juice
• 3-1/2 c. sugar
• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 pouch liquid pectin (3 oz)
• ¼ tsp. butter
• 1 c. fresh herbs
• Food coloring if desired

For the liquid recipe mix everything except the liquid pectin. Stirring all the time, bring to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down. Add the pectin all at once and return to rolling boil. Stir constantly and boil for exactly one minute. Remove from heat and skim off any foam with metal spoon and pour into jars and seal. Water bath according to directions, most are 5 to 10 minutes.

Note: I have not had good luck using liquid pectin when making my apple mint jelly. I have made it twice with liquid pectin and ended up with apple mint syrup. Not what I originally intended.

Herb jelly recipes:

• Basil, either purple or sweet with water                with powdered pectin
  • 4 cups water
  • 2 c. packed fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
  • 1 pkg. powdered fruit pectin
  • 5 c. sugar
  • Make according to powdered pectin recipe and water bath for 15 min. (no vinegar)
  • Lemon Verbena with liquid pectin
    • 2 c. torn lemon verbena leaves
    • 2-1/2 c. water
    • ¼ c. cider vinegar
    • 4-1/2 c. sugar
    • 1 liquid pectin (3 oz.)
    • Make according to powdered pectin recipe and water bath for 5 minutes (has vinegar)
    • Thyme jelly
    • Rose Geranium jelly
    • Orange mint jelly
    • Lemon balm jelly
    • Sage jelly
    • Rosemary jelly
    • Chamomile jelly
    • Lavender jelly
    • Parsley  jelly
    • Lime Geranium jelly
    • Fennel

    Jelly recipes contain acid such as vinegar or lemon juice usually require less time in the water bath.

Herb and Fruit Juice Combination’s jelly:

• Basil with orange juice
• Lemon balm with red grape juice
• Lemon thyme with white grape juice or lemonade
• Lemon Verbena with  lemonade
• Marjoram with grapefruit juice
• Rosemary with orange juice
• Savory with cranberry juice
• Sage with apple juice or cranberry juice or pineapple juice
• Scented Geranium with apple juice
• Sweet woodruff with white wine
• Thyme with purple grape juice or apple juice or orange juice
• Rose petals with apple juice
• Lavender with apple juice or orange juice or strawberries
• Mint with apple juice
• Tarragon with grapefruit juice
• Calendula with grapefruit juice
• Mint with grapefruit juice
• Anise hyssop with grapefruit juice
• Parsley with grapefruit juice or pineapple juice

It is fun to think of all the different combination of juice with herbs. Try one or two and you might find a favorite. These make great and unusual gifts.

Summertime is the best time to make herbal jellies, but I have used frozen mint when I needed to make jelly with good results.

Have fun!