Basil/chamomile jelly.

Newsgroups: alt.folklore.herbs
Subject: Basil/chamomile jelly
From: jchamay.williams.edu (Julie Chamay)
Date: 14 Dec 1994 16:04:24 -0500

Sorry I didn't post this on Monday, as I said earlier. I came down with a cold over the weekend and didn't go to work.

Both these recipes come from a book entitled: _Herbal Treasures_, by Phyllis V. Shaudys, Garden Way Publishers, 1992. This books contains many recipes for food, cosmetics, and remedies, as well as craft ideas.

Basil Jelly (This recipe is written for basil, but I would also substitute rosemary, tarragon, majoram, lemon balm, mint, etc. You might have to play with the amount of herb to get the right flavor.)

1 ½ cup packed fresh opal or anise or lemon or cinnamon basil
2 cups water
2 tbls. rice vinegar
pinch salt
3 ½ cups sugar
3 oz. liquid pectin

Wash basil, pat dry with towels. Finely chop, by hand or in processor. Put basil in medium sized saucepan, and crush chopped leaves, using the bottom of a glass. Add water. Bring slowly to a boil. Boil for ten seconds. Remove from heat; cover and steep for 15 minutes. Strain 1 ½ cup of liquid from pan and pour through fine strainer into another larger saucepan. Add vinegar, salt and sugar, bring to a hard boil, stirring. When boil can't be stirred down, add pectin. Again, return to a hard boil that can't be stirred down. Boil for 1 minute. Remove pan from heat, skim off foam. Pour hot jelly into sterilized 8 oz. jelly jars; leave ½ inch headspace. Seal at once. (I sealed the jars with two piece lids, in a boiling water bath for 5 minutes.)

Chamomile Jelly

1 cup chamomile flowers, packed
3 ½ cups water
1 box Sure-Jell (powdered pectin)
4 cups sugar

Put flowers and water in a medium sized saucepan; bring to a boil. Remove from heat; cover and let stand ten minutes. Strain through two layers of cheese cloth. Measure out 3 cups of liquid. Mix chamomile infusion and Sure-Jell in a large saucepan; bring to a hard boil and add sugar. Again, bring to a hard boil, and continue to boil for one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, skim off foam. Pour hot jelly into sterilized 8 oz. jelly jars; leave ½ inch headspace. Seal at once. (See note above.)

For those of us experiencing winter, I would think that dried herbs would work in these recipes, one would just use less, or even the same amount but not packed down into the measuring cups. I received many requests, and I hope that everyone who tries these likes them. I'd be interested in hearing how it works out.

Yrs,

Julie Chamay