We are halfway through the Elderflower season here in the UK. So we've come up with the perfect recipe for using our glass jars to create some delicious Elderflower jelly.
Last year we used our glass bottle range to bring you an elderflower cordial recipe. So this year we've done our research and come up with another tasty way to enjoy this seasonal treat!
Elderflowers are the flower of the elder tree. The flowers are creamy in colour and smell amazing. Elderflowers are in full bloom from June to July, depending on where you live.
How To Pick Elderflowers
The best way to pick Edlerflowers is to go for a nice walk in the sunshine and head away from any busy roads and traffic. The flowers need to be large and fully opened. The smell should be really strong. Only pick a few flowers from each tree and make sure you leave plenty for birds and insects. Speaking of insects make sure you give your flowers a shake to knock off any insects and bugs before putting them in your bag.
Choosing The Right Jar
Now you have your Elderlfowers. You will need some jars to house your Elderflower jelly. We would recommend you use a medium size jar for this recipe. Either our 125ml round jars or our 190ml panel jar would work perfectly!
Once you've chosen your jar don't forget to sterilise them and their lids. We've written a handy blog to help with just this. Check out our 3 ways for sterilising your glass jars and lids blog.
Now it's time to start making this delicious creation.
Equipment
Jars
Jam Pan
Funnel
Large bowl
Fine sieve
Ingredients
8-10 Elderflowers. Depending on their size.
750ml pure apple juice with no added sugar
The juice of 1 lemon
500g sugar
1 tbsp pectin
Method
I know you did this already earlier. But give the flowers another shake over the sink in case there are any more insects hiding in there.
Place a small plate in the freezer for later. This will help you test whether the jelly has set!
Place the flowers in a large bowl and cover with the apple juice. Cover with a tea towel and leave to stand in a cool place (not the fridge) for 24 hours.
Pour the flavoured juice through a fine mesh sieve in to a large jam pan and add the lemon juice.
Mix the sugar and pectin in a small bowl and pour in to the juice, whisking as you do.
Bring the mixture to the boil and cook for 4 minutes whilst continually stirring.
Remove from the heat and test to see if your jelly is ready. To test take your cold plate out of the freezer and place a small amount of your mixture on it. If it sets almost immediately it's ready. If it doesn't, cook for another minute and try again.
Pour the jelly in to your freshly sterlised jars. Add the caps while the jelly is still hot and allow to cool slowly.
Store in a cool dry place and once opened store in the fridge. Before opening the jars should last at least 6 months. And when opened around 2-3 weeks.
What do you think of this elderflower jelly recipe? It's fairly simple and easy to do. Perfect to do when getting the kids involved. Just be careful with little fingers around hot pots and hot jelly!
We love making seasonal products using our range of glass jars and glass bottles. What should we make next? Leave a comment below to let us know what you think we should make!
If you make your own Elderflower jelly. We'd love to see your creation. Make sure you tag us in any social media posts and follow us for more updates! You can also follow us on Instagram and Facebook. Be sure to tag us in all your awesome product shots and use the hashtag #sen5esbottles. We love seeing our products in the wild!
All the best
The team at Sen5es