The wild honeysuckles are in bloom 🙂

We picked 1/3 of a gallon sized bucket.

 

 

 

 

 

Remove the green ends and rinse off the flowers.

 

 

 

 

 

I used apple juice as my base, but you can also use water or white grape juice. Filtered apple juice would make a more clear jelly, but I couldn’t find any organic clear apple juice or white grape juice.

 

 

 

 

Put 4 1/2 c. apple juice into pan with honeysuckle flowers and bring to a boil.

 

 

 

 

Remove from heat, cover and let simmer for 15 minutes.

 

 

 

 

 

Place clean jars into very hot water. It doesn’t hurt to add some boiling water to help kill any bacteria.

Put water canner on stove to start heating up.

 

 

 

 

Place lids into hot, but not quite boiling water.

I used Le Parfait jars along with regular two piece lidded jars, so I put the rubber gaskets in the water along with the metal lids.

 

 

 

Strain flowers out of juice.

I used a jelly bag over a mesh strainer.

 

 

 

 

 

Squeeze jelly bag dry. I used a wooden spoon up against the side of the bowl to help avoid burnt fingers.

 

 

 

 

Return apple juice to saucepan/maslin pan, and add 7 cups sugar.

Bring to a boil.

 

 

 

 

 

Add in 2 pouches of liquid pectin. I haven’t yet found organic liquid pectin. But it does make a more transparent jelly than does the powdered pectin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Boil for one minute.

 

 

 

 

I get a one cup measuring cup, canning funnel and clean,damp napkin ready.

 

 

 

Remove jelly from heat, or at least turn off burner.

Skim off foam.

Pour jelly into prepared jar. I have found that it’s easier to put the Le Parfait rubber ring on the lid before filling the jar with hot liquid.

 

 

Wipe off top of jar with clean, damp napkin. This helps ensure a good seal.

 

 

 

 

 

Seal jar by clamping down bail top or affixing two piece lid and ring.

 

 

 

 

Place filled jar into raised rack of boiling water canner.

Continue filling jars and placing in elevated rack of canner.

When canner rack is full, drop rack into hot water and bring to a boil. Once water is boiling, time it for ten minutes. (Process 10 minutes).

 

 

After 10 minutes, remove from heat, remove canner lid and allow it to set for five minutes.

 

 

 

 

 

Using a jar lifter, remove jars from canner and set on a towel to cool. The metal lids will suck down with a ‘pop’ when they are sealed. The Le Parfait jars have to be completely cool before checking their seals.

 

 

Even though I used unfiltered apple juice, it’s still a pretty color, isn’t it?

 

 

 

 

 

Le Parfait and Weck jars definitely help reduce your carbon footprint since you recycle the lids and rubber gaskets every year until the gaskets wear out, which takes something like 20 years.

 

 

 

This batch made 7 one cup jars, one 4 oz jar, and one jar that I’m not sure if it’s 12 oz or 16 oz.

But the really great thing about this recipe is that Heather was so excited about making honeysuckle jelly, that she went and started picking the flowers by herself 🙂