How to make: Lavender Jelly

My first encounter with lavender jelly was at an arts and craft fair in Christchurch, New Zealand. The year was 2005, and there were many different things shown there that day. Pottery, soap carving, you name it.

Anyway, I decided recently to try and look up how to make lavender jelly. This instructable will attempt to give you an idea on how lavender jelly can be made. :D

Step 1 What you need

2 cups boiling water
4 Tbsp dried lavender bud (preferably organic or spray free)
4 cups white sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 packet (70 grams) pectin

Stainles steel pot
Stainless steel / wooden spoon
4-6 jam jars, depending on the size; I bought mine from the nearby Mitre 10 hardware store. You can reuse your jam jars, nothing wrong with that.

(edit: the pectin I bought was only 9% pectin, the rest was glucose. My jelly turned out very runny. Next batch I make, I'll add more. Trial and error, eh?) Also, you can also use your own lavender buds. Just harvest the flowers before they open,and dry them in a cool area for a few days. Don't heat them up or anything as it will destroy or evaporate he essential oils that gives them that distinct lavender aroma.

Comments

[nachobobs]

A spoon of this stirred into a beautifully rich beef jus, finished with a knob of butter and spooned over a medium rare crispy skinned duck breast would be delicious.  Serve it on a puree of roasted garlic and bread soaked in hot milk, garnish with halved grapes tossed with sultanas, olive oil and sherry vinegar......mmmmm.....mmmmm.... 

[AstralQueen]

sounds very fancy. would it taste good? o.O i'm very curious! :D

[nachobobs]

 This, would be amazing......

$37 a serve, deeeee-lish

[AstralQueen]

duck meat... i'll need to find a halal supplier for that.

isn't duck very fatty? not that it's a bad thing. but i heard that it's a very fatty meat.

[nachobobs]

It all depends on how you cook it.  Although it is much more fatty than chicken you dont have to eat the fat. (it is good though)  You need to render the fat down as much as you can before turning the breast onto the flesh side to finish cooking.  Everything in moderation.......

[The Handmade Project]

Great that you have canning instructions!

[AstralQueen]

The microwave method is one that my flatmate used; she and her mother do a lot of canning and preserving. :D

[valhallas_end]

Excellent instructable. I first tried lavender jelly at a lavender farm on Cape Cod and loved it. And you are correct - fresh lavender jams and jellys are a red color, but they often add coloring or sometimes small amounts of blueberry or blackberry into the mix to get a deep purply-red color.

[AstralQueen]

thanks for commenting! i tried the lavender jelly today, it was very runny. turns out the pectin packet i bought was only 9% pectin; the rest was glucose and citric acid. looks like i'll be adding a bit more. but some had jelly like consistencies in the middle. it was my first try. :P

[valhallas_end]

I wonder if what you have now would be good on waffles or pancakes? It sounds like the perfect consistency for a good crepe sauce or syrup. I'm definitely going to try this as soon as I find some jars.

[AstralQueen]

it's very syrupy, so it definitely would make awesome waffle syrup.

[Joe Martin]

Mmm, sounds lovely!

[AstralQueen]

it tastes yummy, too. :D