Fresh Lemon Jelly Recipes

MINT JELLY

Steps:

• Rinse off the mint leaves, and place them into a large saucepan. Crush with a potato masher or the bottom of a jar or glass. Add water, and bring the mint to a boil. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 10 minutes. Strain, and measure out 1 2/3 cups of the mint.
• Place 1 2/3 cups mint into a saucepan. Stir in the lemon juice and food coloring. Mix in the sugar, and place the pan over high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Once the mixture is boiling, stir in the pectin. Boil the mixture for a full minute while stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and skim foam off the top using a large metal spoon. Transfer the mixture to hot sterile jars, and seal.
• Place a rack in the bottom of a large stockpot and fill halfway with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then carefully lower the jars into the pot using a holder. Leave a 2 inch space between the jars. Pour in more boiling water if necessary until the water level is at least 1 inch above the tops of the jars. Bring the water to a full boil, cover the pot, and process for 10 minutes.

BASIC JELLY

Steps:

• Combine fruit and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook, partially covered, mashing occasionally with a potato masher, until fruit is very soft, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer mixture to a fine sieve set over a heatproof bowl; let drain without pressing on fruit, 4 hours. Strain again through sieve lined with damp cheesecloth. Measure juice; you will have 3 to 4 cups.
• In a large heavy-bottomed pot, bring juice to a boil. Add 3/4 cup sugar for each cup of juice. Add lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Return to a boil and cook, stirring frequently, 8 to 12 minutes. To test if jelly is done, dip a large metal spoon in, lift it horizontally above pot, and let mixture drip back in. Jelly is done when mixture has thickened slightly and drops of it slide together off spoon in a sheet. (Temperature should register 221 degrees on a candy thermometer.) Skim foam from top.
• Ladle jelly into clean containers, leaving 3/4 inch of headroom. Let cool completely. Cover, label, and refrigerate up to 1 month, or freeze up to 1 year.

FRESH LEMON JELLY

Steps:

• 1 tablespoon finely shredded lemon peel.
• 3/4 cup lemon juice.
• Combine lemon peel water and juice for 10 minutes.
• Strain to remove pulp seeds etc.
• Measure 2 cups juice.
• Combine 2 cups juice with sugar.
• Cook over high heat stirring constantly until mixture comes to a rolling boil that cannot be stirred down.
• QUICKLY stir in pectin.
• Return to full rolling boil.
• Boil for 1 minute.
• Fill in 4/8 ounce jars leaving 1/2 inch head space.
• Procecss in a water bath for 5 minutes.

LEMON JELLY

Steps:

• Combine lemon juice, lemon rind and water in a glass bowl and let stand for 10 minutes.
• Strain mixture into a large saucepan.
• Add sugar to juice mix and stir well.
• Bring to a hard boil over high heat, stirring constantly.
• Stir in fruit pectin.
• Bring back to full boil and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
• Remove from heat.
• Stir in food coloring.
• Skim off foam with metal spoon.
• Ladle into hot sterilized jars (I run mine through the dishwasher).
• Cover immediately with 1/8 inch hot paraffin.

LEMONADE JELLO

Steps:

• Soak the gelatin in the cold water for 3 minutes. Add the hot water and stir until the gelatin is dissolved. Add the juice and sugar and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Refrigerate until set, about 3 hours, or longer.

SURE.JELL CITRUS JELLY

Steps:

• Bring boiling-water canner, half full with water, to simmer. Wash jars and screw bands in hot soapy water; rinse with warm water. Pour boiling water over flat lids in saucepan off the heat. Let stand in hot water until ready to use. Drain jars well before filling.
• Squeeze juice from oranges; strain. Measure exactly 3 cups orange juice into 6- or 8-qt. saucepot. Squeeze juice from lemons; strain. Measure exactly 1/4 cup lemon juice into saucepot with orange juice.
• Stir pectin into prepared juice in saucepot. Add butter to reduce foaming. Bring mixture to full rolling boil (a boil that doesn't stop bubbling when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in sugar. Return to full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 min., stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam with metal spoon.
• Ladle immediately into prepared jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with two-piece lids. Screw bands tightly. Place jars on elevated rack in canner. Lower rack into canner. (Water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches. Add boiling water, if necessary.) Cover; bring water to gentle boil. Process 5 min. Remove jars and place upright on a towel to cool completely. After jars cool, check seals by pressing middles of lids with finger. (If lids spring back, lids are not sealed and refrigeration is necessary.)

SPICY LEMON-MINT JELLY

Steps:

• Use a vegetable peeler to remove the zest (yellow part only) from 4 of the lemons. Cut the zest into fine julienne. Remove the peel and pith from all of the lemons and cut the sections out from between the membranes.
• Place the julienned lemon peel, lemon sections, water, sugar and pepper flakes in a large nonreactive saucepan and mix well. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat slightly and simmer for 20 minutes. Place a small saucer in the freezer.
• Add the mint sprigs to the mixture and simmer for 10 minutes longer. Check the jelly by placing a spoonful on the saucer and returning it to the freezer for about 5 minutes. If the mixture jells when you push your finger through it, it is ready. If not, simmer a little longer and test again.
• Remove the pan from the heat and let cool. Remove the mint sprigs and stir in the chopped mint. Place in a clean container and store in the refrigerator.

FRESH BASIL JELLY

Steps:

• Bring water, vinegar and lemon juice to a boil in a large pot. Reserve 10 basil leaves. Bruise the remainder, add to the pot, remove from the heat, cover and let steep for 15 minutes. Add the sugar and vegetable coloring, return to heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves. When the syrup is at a full rolling boil, add the pectin, boil for 1/2 minute and remove from heat. Place 2 basil leaves in the bottom of each of 5 hot, sterilized 8-ounce jelly glasses . Strain the jelly into glasses through a fine sieve. Cool and cover with a layer of thin paraffin. When the paraffin has hardened, cover the glasses and store.

LEMONADE JELLY WITH BASIL

Steps:

• Warm the lemon juice, 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) water, and the sugar to boiling. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Roughly tear the basil leaves and put them in a small bowl. Pour the lemon juice mixture over the basil leaves and let steep for at least 15 minutes.
• Pour the orange juice into a small saucepan and sprinkle the gelatin over its surface. Let the gelatin soften for 5 minutes, then warm the pan over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the gelatin is fully dissolved. Turn off the heat.
• Strain the basil out of the lemon juice and whisk the juice into the gelatin mixture. Pour the liquid into six small cups or a 1-quart (1-L) dish. Refrigerate for 2 hours, or until softly set. Garnish with whipped cream and basil leaves to serve.
• Lemon-Basil Jelly Skewers
• To make little bites for a party, double the amount of gelatin in this recipe to 6 full teaspoons. Pour the mixture into an 8- or 9-inch (20- or 23-cm) square baking dish and let it set overnight in the refrigerator. Cut it into 1-inch (2.5-cm) squares, or use a small cookie cutter to cut out 1-inch (2.5-cm) circles. Skewer one or two pieces on a toothpick or party pick with a leaf of fresh basil folded and skewered at one end. Chill until ready to serve, and pass a bowl of whipped cream for dipping.
• Easy Flavor Variations
• Real Lime Jelly For real lime jelly (with the taste of fresh limes and no nasty green food coloring), substitute juice from 7 to 8 limes for the lemon juice. Substitute water for the orange juice. Meyer Lemon Jelly with Lavender Extra-sweet, less acidic Meyer lemons are also wonderful in this jelly, especially with the herbal-floral taste of lavender. Simply substitute Meyers for the regular lemons. You may need one or two extra lemons, as Meyer lemons are generally smaller. Instead of steeping basil in the juice, steep 1 tablespoon dried food-grade lavender buds. Strain after 10 minutes and proceed as directed above.