An Herbal Jelly Recipe Marathon!

Here are the last three herbal jelly recipes that I made last year.  That sounds weird to say!  Here is the Pineapple Sage Jelly recipe:

LEMON VERBENA LADY'S PINEAPPLE SAGE JELLY

Makes four 8 oz. jars

1 12 oz. can of Old Orchard Pineapple Juice, frozen concentrate, reconstituted with 3 cans of water

(It makes three recipes of jelly once it is reconstituted.)

2 cups of pineapple juice

1-1/2 cups of pineapple sage leaves, packed

3-1/2 cups of sugar

2 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar, white wine vinegar OR lemon juice, your choice of one

1 pinch of salt

1 pouch of liquid pectin

(Jars should be sterilized in boiling water for ten minutes and lids covered with hot water in a separate pan.) Wash and dry the pineapple sage in paper towels, then coarsely chop it.  Put the pineapple sage in a large saucepan, and crush the leaves, using the bottom of a glass.  I use a food processor.  Add the juice, bring slowly to a boil and boil for ten seconds.  Remove the saucepan from the heat; cover and let sit for 15 minutes to steep.

Strain 1-1/2 cups of liquid from the saucepan and pour through a fine strainer into another saucepan.  Add the one of the vinegars OR lemon juice, salt and sugar and bring to a hard boil, stirring.  When the boil can't be stirred down, add the pectin.  Return to a hard boil that can't be stirred down and boil for exactly 1 minute, then remove saucepan from heat.

Skim off the foam and pour the hot jelly into four hot, sterilized half-pint jelly jars.  Leave 1/2" (or less) head space and seal at once with sterilized 2-piece lids.  I just leave my lids in hot water not boiling until you need them.  Can the jars in a boiling water bath for five minutes.

I would use this jelly on thumbprint cookies, cream cheese and crackers for a quick appetizer and a teaspoon or two as a glaze for the last 15 minutes of baking chicken or pork.

Here is one of my favorite jellies, Lemon Verbena jelly.  Wonder why?


LEMON VERBENA LADY’S JELLY

Makes four 8 oz. jars

1-1/2 c. lemon verbena leaves, torn,

2 cups water

2 T. apple cider vinegar OR lemon juice

3-1/2 c. sugar

3 oz. Certo liquid pectin

(Boil jars for 10 minutes and pour hot water over lids separate from jars.)  Put torn verbena leaves and water into a saucepan.  Bring to a boil for 10 seconds, remove from heat and let stand covered for 15 minutes.   Measure 1-1/2 cups of liquid, add vinegar OR lemon juice and sugar to a 3-1/2 quart saucepan.  Mix well and bring to a boil that cannot be stirred down on high heat, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat briefly and add pectin.  Bring back to a rolling boil and boil for exactly 1 minute stirring constantly.  Remove from heat, skim foam with spoon and pour into sterilized jars.   Can the jars in a boiling water bath for 5 minutes.  Use as directed above in the Pineapple Sage Jelly recipe.

The third and final recipe is Rosemary Sherry Jelly.  It is my version of a recipe from Herbs:  A Cookbook and More:

SHERRY ROSEMARY JELLY

Makes eight 8 oz. jars

1 bottle (750 mg.) cream sherry (original recipe)

Plus enough additional sherry to equal 3-3/4 cups (my version)

¼ c. strained lemon juice

2 t. crushed, dried rosemary in metal tea ball or 2 large sprigs fresh rosemary

7 c. sugar

6 oz. liquid Certo liquid pectin (I used just one pouch of Certo.)

8 small sprigs fresh rosemary, optional

Boil jars in large pot for 10 minutes and pour hot water over lids and keep them separate from jars.  Then combine sherry, lemon juice and rosemary and bring to a boil for 10 seconds in a medium to large saucepan.  Take pan off the heat and let stand covered for 15 minutes.  Strain liquid.

Use a 5 or 6 quart pan for the next process.  Add sugar to rosemary sherry mixture and mix until dissolved.  Bring to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down.  Remove from heat briefly, stir in both pouches of Certo and return to heat and boil for exactly 1 minute.  Have jars ready to go.  This mixture will not need to be skimmed, but because of the double Certo, it sets up quickly!  Place a sprig of rosemary in each sterilized jar before pouring the jelly in.  (I did not use the extra rosemary.)  (I used just one pouch of Certo.  So mine was more of a syrup than a jelly.)  From Herbs:  A Cookbook and More.  I would particularly use this as a glaze on ham, pork or chicken in the last 15 minutes of cooking time especially when baking in the oven.