Lilac jelly
This Lilac Jelly is an easy, delicious and beautiful floral jelly that you can use so many ways. From appetizers to baked goods.
Edible flowers are a great addition to your favorite foods. It also utilizes a part of the plant that no one thinks of using. The color of this jelly is a beautiful purple or pink color that will intrigue your guests.
The final color of the jelly will depend on the color of your lilac bushes.
Flower jellies are such a fun task that even the kids will love helping with. Especially this lilac flower jelly. The lilacs are easier to separate than something like dandelions or violets.
What does lilac jelly taste like?
It has a subtle floral taste but also has a nice citrus flavor from the lemon juice.
What you need
- lilac blooms – just use the blossom itself. Don’t use the green part (botanically the sepal) or the stems of the flower (the peduncle).
- water
- sugar
- lemon juice
- pectin
How to make it
Before starting the jelly, get jars and lids ready. See recipe below for details.
Step One – Cut off the lilac flowers with a pair of scissors or pruners.
Step Two
Separate the blossom from the sepals (the green part), the leaves and the stems.
Step Three
Place the blossoms in a quart canning jar. Add boiling water.
Step Four
Let the tea steep for 10 minutes to overnight to infuse the water with the lilac flavor.
Strain the tea through a fine mesh sieve into a large pot.
You should end up with 3-4 cups of lilac tea.
Step Five
Bring the tea to a boil.
Add the lemon juice and the powdered pectin to the lilac tea.
Bring to a rolling boil. Stir the mixture constantly.
Step Six
Add sugar all at once. Continue stirring until you achieve a full rolling boil again. Boil for one minute.
Remove from heat.
Skim off foam if needed.
Step Seven
Pour hot jelly into hot mason jars leaving ¼ inch headspace.
Remove air bubbles, if needed.
Step Eight
Wipe rims of jars with a damp paper towel.
Step Nine
Place lid on jar.
Screw on bands finger tip tight.
Step Ten
Process jars for ten minutes in your water bath canning pot, adjusting for altitude.
See altitude adjustment in recipe below.
Remove from heat. Let jars sit in hot water for at least 5 minutes before removing them to the counter.
Test seals after 12-24 hours. If lid flexes up or down, jar is not sealed and should be refrigerated.
One batch makes 5 half pints.
How to store it
Store jars that have sealed in a cool, dark place like a basement for at least a year.
Any jars that have not sealed should be stored in the refrigerator and used within a few months.
Opened jars should be used within a few months.
Pro tips
- The color of your lilac blooms will affect the color of the jelly. White blooms will make a slightly yellow jelly. Lilac colored blooms will make a pink jelly. Dark purple blooms will make a purple jelly.
- If you would like the jelly a darker color, you can add mashed blueberries or blackberries to the tea while it is steeping.
- Since the jelly is processed for more than 10 minutes, there is no need to use sterilized jars.
- This recipe is fine for a water bath canner.
- Use blooms that have not been sprayed with any chemicals, insecticides or inorganic fertilizers.
- Pick your blossoms one day and put them in them in water. The next day remove the petals. It is much easier and will take you less time.
- It took about 10 individual blossoms to get 4 cups of petals but that will depend on the size of your blossoms.
How to use lilac jelly
- Lilac jelly is delicious on toast or a bagel with butter. It will transport you back to spring in the middle of winter.
- It makes an amazing peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
- Top crackers or a toasted English muffin with some cream cheese and a dab of lilac jelly.
- Use it as a condiment for your grazing platters. It’s especially good with soft cheeses like brie, camembert, goat cheese or queso fresco.
- Use it as a filling for cookies, cakes and cupcakes. Use some lilac sugar to make the dough to make them extra special.
More recipes for lilacs
More unique jams and jellies
- carrot cake jam
- rhubarb jam
- seedless raspberry jam
- lemon marmalade
- apricot jam
- peony jelly
- honeysuckle jelly
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I hope you enjoyed the recipe today!
Enjoy. And have fun cooking!
Lilac Jelly
Ingredients
- 4 cups lilac petals
- 4 cups water
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 4 tablespoons classic pectin see recipe notes
- 4 cups Sugar
Instructions
- Shake you lilac blooms after picking to remove any bugs or dirt. If you'd like you can rinse them in cool water.4 cups lilac petals
- Remove the purple or white petals from the small green sepals that hold them to the branch. (See photo in article above.)
- Boil the water. Pour the water over the petals. Let this "tea" steep for 10 minutes to overnight to achieve the color and flavor that you would like to use. I usually let it steep about 30 minutes if I have dark purple blossoms. (Put the tea in the refrigerator after it cools to room temperature)4 cups water
- Prepare canning jars and lids by washing and heating them before starting the jelly. Get your canning pot on the stove.
- Add the lilac tea, (you should end up with 3-3½ cups of tea) pectin and lemon juice in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil that can't be stirred down.2 tablespoons lemon juice, 4 tablespoons classic pectin
- Add sugar all at once. Stir constantly until the jelly come to a full rolling boil again. Boil for one minute. Remove from heat.4 cups Sugar
- Ladle hot jelly into hot jars leaving ¼ inch headspace. Remove bubbles if necessary.
- Wipe the rim of the jars clean with a damp paper towel to remove any debris.
- Center the lid on the jar. Screw on the bands fingertip tight.
- Process jars for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude. After processing is complete, let jars rest in the hot water for at least 50 minutes so that they cool slowly. This will eliminate siphoning.
- Remove jars to the counter and leave undisturbed for 12-24 hours until fully cooled. Store jars in a cool, dark place for at least one year.
See all of my favorite tools and gift ideas on my New Amazon Store!Check out Binky’s Amazon Store!Notes
- The color of your lilac blooms will affect the color of the jelly. White blooms will make a slightly yellow jelly. Lilac colored blooms will make a pink jelly. Dark purple blooms will make a purple jelly.
- If you would like the jelly a darker color, you can add mashed blueberries or blackberries to the tea while it is steeping.
- Since the jelly is processed for more than 10 minutes, there is no need to use sterilized jars.
- This recipe is fine for a water bath canner.
- Use blooms that have not been sprayed with any chemicals, insecticides or inorganic fertilizers.
- Lilac jelly is delicious on toast or a bagel with butter. It will transport you back to spring in the middle of winter.
- It makes an amazing peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
- Top a cracker or English muffin with some cream cheese and a dab of lilac jelly.
- Use it as a condiment for your grazing platters. It’s especially good with soft cheeses like brie, camembert, goat cheese or queso fresco.
- Use it as a filling for cookies, cakes and cupcakes. Use some lilac sugar to make the dough to make them extra special.
This jelly is simply amazing! We served it with brie and crackers like you suggested. It was awesome!
Thanks Jan! I’m so glad you like it. We love it with brie too!