Jelly question

13 years ago

Hey all

I found the following recipe and it sounds really good to me - but I was wondering if I could BWB process it to extend the shelf life? I seriously doubt I would use it all up in 2 weeks in the fridge. What do you think?

Alexa

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Basil-Lemon Jelly

Ingredients:

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

Cooking Directions:

-------- ------------ --------------------------------

2 cups water

6 cups sugar

Zest from 2 Meyer lemons -- minced

1 cup shredded fresh basil leaves -- packed

16 ounces fruit pectin -- 2 foil pouches

In a large saucepan, bring the water, sugar, lemon zest and basil to boil

over high heat, stirring constantly to prevent the mixture from boiling

over. Add the fruit pectin and return to a boil. Boil one minute, taking

care not to let the mixture boil over.

Remove from heat and cool slightly. Pour into jars. Cool to room

temperature. Cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

This recipe yields about 4 cups.

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Comments (5)

readinglady
13 years ago
My guess is yes, though that's only a guess. I haven't looked up similar safe-stested recipes.

However, you definitely could process if you infused the basil leaves (they're the low-acid ingredient) in the water to get the basil flavor, strained out the leaves and then made the jelly as directed. That might make a prettier jelly anyway as those shreds would tend to float and would turn dark.

If you wanted the basil connection to be clear, put one whole leaf down the side of the jar before pouring the jelly in. It may take some fiddling, but it could be very pretty.

Carol
caliloo
Original Author
13 years ago
Thanks Carol!

I am thinking of trying to enter our local fair this summer and I want to make things that might be a little unusual - plus I think this would be very tasty on Grilled Chicken. And I like the idea of jsut having the single basil leaf in the jar - I certainly don't want dark muddy looking stuff floating in there.

Thansk again!

Alexa
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but I could not get the temp up to the 221 degrees they asked for Were you cooking the jelly at a lower temperature? What kind of pot did you use? The jell temperature is 8 degrees above boiling, so if you were at altitude, that wouldn't be 221 degrees. Is that an issue? Regarding the watery looking it does sound as if the rings weren't tightened enough and water leaked in. You want the rings to be "fingertip tight." So they're not loose at all, but they aren't ratcheted down to the max either. You can probably salvage the jelly by pouring it out of the jars, bringing the mixture back to the boil and evaporating off excess water. If the jelly itself is set or somewhat-set under a layer of water, you may be able to pour off most of the water first, which will reduce the cooking time needed. Then the jars need to be cleaned and re-heated and fresh lids used. Rings, of course, are reusable. I know this can be frustrating, but it's all part of the learning curve. Next time you might want to try the no-pectin crabapple jelly again, once you have a clearer sense of what the issues are. Crabapple is an easy setter and a good jelly to begin with. Carol
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Lisa, The spelling didn't matter. We all knew what you meant. When you said you made 8 jars, my initial reaction was "that's not enough", lol. I am not sure how much is enough, but no matter how much I make, I always wish I'd made more. Charley, As Lisa recommended, the Ball Blue Book is a great guide to canning. Everything in it is safety-tested and approved and by following the directions in the book, you will know that you are learning exactly how to preserve food in the proper manner. You usually can find the Ball Blue Book on the aisle at Wal-Mart where you find the canning jars. The Wal-Mart store nearest me usually has it on the shelves at least from late winter or early spring through fall, and sometimes they have it almost year-round, though it tends to sell out around Christmas. It is less than $10.00 at Wal-Mart, but also is available at many other places, including Amazon.com. Be sure you get the latest edition that just came out about 3 or 4 years ago because it has been in print for over 100 years and you want the most up-to-date version available. You also can learn canning at the website of the National Center for Home Food Preservation which has all the absolute latest, safety-approved guidelines and instructions, including how-to videos. Great instructions and recipes also can be found at the website of canning jar manufacturer's like the one I've linked below. When you have technical questions, you can ask them here and we'll try to answer them, but if they're beyond our level of expertise, you can go to the Harvest Forum here at Garden Web where the true expert canners talk about canning and other food preservation methods year-round. Dawn Here is a link that might be useful: Ball Website
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readinglady
13 years ago
Good luck with your entries! Aesthetics is definitely an issue. I remember a friend who made a jalapeno "jelly" but used the food processor and half-chopped and half-blended the peppers. Nothing was strained out and the resulting jelly/jam looked like something out of a swamp Â olive drab with unidentifiable yuckky bits. In fact, I didn't even realize it was a pepper jelly (couldn't tell what it was, LOL) until I was told. I almost put my foot in my mouth that time.

I assume the regs for your event do permit original or unconventional recipes. I know for a lot of competitions, especially if Ball sponsors, the options are limited.

Carol
caliloo
Original Author
13 years ago
Here is a link to the Premium List. From what I can see there are categories for "other" and "Fruit combinations" so I think I will be okay. I am linking to the site - maybe you can interpret it?

Alexa

Here is a link that might be useful: Premium List for Home Goods
readinglady
13 years ago
I think so, too, though I'm surprised they allow foods like spaghetti sauce and vegetables without providing any instructions or criteria for preparation. Unless they're judging purely on headspace, consistency, color, etc. and not tasting, somebody may be at risk.

And nut butters (which are not cannable AFAIK, according to current USDA regs) are included with fruit butters. Totally different products.

So looking at the rather loose parameters, I think you're covered. Heck, with the lemon you could probably put it in the marmalade section also.

But if you want to be 100% confident, email the organizer listed at the top. Then you don't have to worry about it.

Carol

Jelly question

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