Make wild violet jelly with spring's first magical blooms! This low-sugar flower jelly tastes fruity and lightly floral and looks beautiful. This recipe makes 4-5 half-pint jars of jelly.
Bring the water to a boil, then turn off the heat and let cool for a few minutes
Place the violet flowers into a heat-safe quart jar, the pour the hot water over them to make the tea.
Cover the jar and allow the violet tea to infuse for about 20 minutes.
Violet Jelly
Prepare the calcium water by combining ½ tsp of calcium powder (from the Pomona's Pectin package) with ½ cup water in a small jar. Shake well. Any extra calcium water can be stored in the refrigerator for future use.
Place half pint jars in a large pot with enough water to cover them. Bring the water to a boil, then turn off the heat and keep the jars in the hot water until it is time to use them.
Place the lids in a small pot of hot water until ready to use.
Using a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth, strain the violet tea.
Pour 4 cups of violet tea into a medium saucepan. If necessary, add a small amount of water to bring the tea up to meet this measurement.
Add 1 Tbsp + ½ tsp of the calcium water and lemon juice and mix well.
In a small bowl, mix the sugar and pectin together until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
Heat the jelly in a pot until it comes to a full boil. Add the pectin-sugar mixture and stir vigorously for 1-2 minutes until the jelly comes back up to a boil.
Once the jelly returns to a boil, remove it from the heat.
Fill the hot jars with the jelly leaving ¼ inch of space at the top. Wipe the rims clean and pop any bubbles as necessary. Cover the jars with a lid and ring.
To can, place the filled jars in boiling water to cover. Boil for 10 minutes (add 1 minute for every 1,000 feet above sea level).
Remove from the water and let the jars cool, then check to make sure they are sealed.
Notes
Note that Pomona’s Universal Pectin comes with the calcium powder needed to make this low-sugar wild violet jelly.