Lemon Verbena Jelly Recipes

LEMON VERBENA SIMPLE SYRUP

Steps:

• Combine water, sugar, and lemon verbena leaves in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Simmer for 1 minute. Remove from heat and let syrup steep, about 30 minutes.
• Pour syrup into a sterilized glass jar through a mesh strainer to remove lemon verbena leaves; let cool.

LEMON VERBENA JELLY

Steps:

• Put the lemon verbena leaves, lemon zest and water into a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over moderate to high heat, then turn the heat to simmer and cover the pan. Cook for 15 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat and allow to stand, covered, for several hours.
• Pour the infusion through a strainer into a large, deep saucepan. Press on the leaves to extract all flavor, then discard the leaves and zest. Stir in the lemon juice and sugar and bring to a full rolling boil over high heat. Add food coloring. Stir in the pectin and return to a full rolling boil. Boil hard for two minutes, stirring constantly.
• Remove from the heat and skim the foam, if necessary. Ladle the jelly into hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Seal with new lids and metal rings.
• Process for 5 minutes in a hot water bath. Makes about five 6-ounce jars.
• This subtly flavored jelly is good with scones or toasted brioche, or in the center of thumbprint butter cookies.

LEMON VERBENA JELLY

Steps:

• Bring a boiling-water canner, half full with water, to simmer. Enough water to cover the jars by 1-2 inches. Wash jars and screw bands in hot soapy water; rinse with warm water. Or dishwasher and keep hot. Pour boiling water over flat lids in saucepan off the heat. Let stand in hot water until ready to use. Drain well before filling.
• Place chopped lemon verbena leaves and water into a pan. Bring it to a boil, then take it off the heat and let it steep, covered, for 15 minutes.
• Place apple juice in a quart size measuring cup.
• Strain and add infusion to juice to make 4 cups (adding more water or juice to if needed). Place in a 3 1/2-quart or larger saucepan. Add lemon and sugar. Mix well and bring to a full boil over high heat, stirring constantly.Add the liquid pectin; bring back to a full rolling boil and boil for exactly 1 minute.
• Ladle immediately into prepared jars, filling to within 1/8 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 10 minute Remove jars and place upright on towel to cool completely. After jars cool, check seals by pressing middle of lid with finger. (If lid springs back, lid is not sealed and refrigeration is necessary.).
• Sealed jars can be store up to one year in a cool dark pantry.
• Unsealed store in refrigerator up to 1 month.
• Altitude times:.
• 1,000-3,000 5 minutes.
• 3,001-6,000 10 minutes.
• 6,001-8,000 15 minutes.
• 8,001-10,000 20 minutes.

LEMON VERBENA AND SUMMER FRUIT GELéE

Steps:

• Rub verbena sprigs in your hands to bruise leaves and stems, then combine sprigs with wine and 3/4 cup sugar in a heavy medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar has dissolved, then simmer 1 minute. Remove from heat and let steep, covered, 1 hour.
• While verbena mixture steeps, finely grind verbena leaves with remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a food processor or an electric coffee/spice grinder. Gently toss fruit with verbena sugar and 2 tablespoons lemon juice in a bowl. Let stand while verbena syrup finishes steeping.
• Sprinkle gelatin over water and let soften 1 minute. Meanwhile, reheat verbena syrup until hot, then stir in gelatin mixture until dissolved. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Stir in macerated fruit with juices and remaining 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Chill in an ice bath, stirring occasionally, until cool and thickened (the texture of raw egg whites) but not set, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Very lightly oil baking pan with vegetable oil (not necessary if pan is nonstick or if using individual glasses).
• Pour gelée into baking pan and chill in refrigerator until set, at least 3 hours.
• To unmold, dip pan in a larger pan of hot water 5 to 10 seconds to loosen. Invert onto a serving plate (do not unmold if using individual glasses). Let stand at room temperature 15 minutes before serving.

PASSION-FRUIT AND BLACKBERRY JELLIES WITH LEMON VERBENA CREAM

Steps:

• Make passion-fruit mixture:
• Sprinkle gelatin over 1/4 cup water and let stand 2 minutes to soften.
• Heat sugar and remaining cup water in a 1-quart heavy saucepan over moderately high heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Add gelatin mixture and stir until dissolved. Transfer mixture to a 1-quart glass measure or bowl, then set in a large bowl of ice and cold water and stir frequently until cold but not set, about 15minutes. Stir in passion-fruit purée, then chill in refrigerator until ready to use.
• Make blackberry mixture:
• Sprinkle gelatin over 1/4 cup water and let stand 2 minutes to soften.
• Heat sugar and remaining 3/4 cup water in 1-quart saucepan over moderately high heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Add gelatin mixture and stir until dissolved. Transfer mixture to another 1-quart glass measure or bowl, then set in a large bowl of ice and cold water and stir frequently until cold but not set, about 15minutes.
• While gelatin mixture chills, purée blackberries in a food processor, then force through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, discarding seeds.
• Stir lemon juice and 1 cup purée into chilled gelatin mixture, then chill in refrigerator until ready to use.
• Assemble jellies:
• Pour a scant 1/4 cup passion-fruit mixture into each glass, then stand all 6 glasses in a wide pot. Fill pot with enough ice and cold water to reach level of jelly and chill in refrigerator until jelly is just set, about 2 hours. (Keep unused portion of jellies in refrigerator, stirring once or twice to slow setting.)
• Pour a scant 1/4 cup blackberry mixture on top of set passion-fruit jelly (pouring mixture gently over back of a spoon held just over set jelly helps to keep new layer from damaging layer beneath). Add enough ice to pot to reach level of jelly and chill in refrigerator until jelly is set, about 2 hours.
• Make another layer of passion-fruit jelly and another layer of blackberry jelly in same manner, adding ice to pot and chilling in refrigerator until jellies are set (last two layers will take only about 1 1/2 hours each to chill).
• When all layers are set, remove glasses from ice bath and chill, loosely covered with plastic wrap, 8 hours (or overnight).
• Make cream 2 hours before serving:
• Combine lemon verbena with sugar in a small bowl, then gently bruise verbena with a pestle or wooden spoon (to release flavor). Stir in cream and chill, stirring occasionally, 1 hour.
• Pour through cleaned fine-mesh sieve into a larger bowl, pressing gently on solids and then discarding them, then chill cream, covered, until ready to serve.
• Just before serving, beat cream with an electric mixer until it just holds soft peaks and spoon dollops over jellies.