Not to be outdone by the jelly, the pink 'greenhouse' still commands attention.
Lavender Jelly
3 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup dried lavender flowers
Juice of 1 lemon (1/4 cup)
1 (1 3/4-ounces) box powdered pectin or 1 pouch (3-ounces) liquid pectin
4 cups sugar
In a large saucepan over high heat bring water just to a boil. Remove from heat, stir in dried lavender flowers, and let steep for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, strain mixture into a deep kettle or pot, discarding the lavender flowers. Stir in lemon juice and pectin; continue stirring until the pectin is dissolved.
Over high heat, bring the mixture to a boil; add sugar. When the jelly solution returns to a hard rolling boil, let it boil for 2 to 4 minutes (see below), stirring occasionally.
After boiling, transfer the jelly into hot sterilized jars. Fill them to within 1/4 inch of the top, wipe any spilled jam off the top, seat the lids and tighten the ring around them.
Makes five 1/2 pints.
Fit for a Queen:
Apparently, Queen Elizabeth I loved this jelly. The story goes that she tasted it on a trip to Provence where the lavender fields abound, and upon returning to England requested that her chef always had it on hand.
When I made it I was alarmed at first by the color of the lavender water. It turns an ugly purple-ish grey. Don’t worry, it will come light pink when the sugar is added and the mixture is cooked. No, I don’t know why; I just know that it does and it’s pretty. I haven’t tasted it yet, so can’t rave–yet. Right now, I’m happy just to look at it.
11 Comments
March 2, 2009 at 12:32 PM
Thank you for this recipe! I have been hunting for a good Lavender Jelly recipe. I’m going to give this one a try. Sounds lovely! And I love the connection with Elizabeth I. I’m hoping to give Lavender Jelly as a wedding favor. Thanks much!
July 25, 2009 at 5:02 PM
Made your lavender jelly. Wow it turned out great and yes, a very pretty pink! This is now on my to do list each year as I am in the midst of creating a lavender garden in the kooteneys. Off to a bee farm tomorrow. Have you any hives?
Heather
July 25, 2009 at 6:31 PM
Glad you enjoyed it Heather!
I would love to have bees. Unfortunately, Bella Coola is not the place for bees. They like dry weather. Our rain-forest conditions are simply not suitable. Instead, I am making Birch-Maple syrup by tapping my own trees. Really yummy!
cheers,
HDR
July 25, 2009 at 7:31 PM
HDR- sounds lovely- will pass on the link to Jo- I wonder if Lavender would make a good gelato flavour!?
July 25, 2009 at 7:34 PM
I would say so! And, it would look spectacular with little bits of the flowers left in like espresso beans. I made lavender shortbread for Christmas last year and they were an interesting hit.
Another flavour for gelato you might want to try playing with is avocado. In my favourite little village in Mexico there was a tiny hole-in-the-wall cantina that served ‘Pastel de Aguacate’ (avocado pie). It was divine yet ‘oh so odd’ at first. The never would give me the recipe, but I did learn that it was basically avocados and sweetened condensed milk. So, would do well in ice cream or gelato I’m sure.
Good luck!
July 30, 2009 at 4:05 AM
Hey Tony,
You know, I was just thinking of you this morning when I made toast and added cream cheese and my raspberry-lavender jelly. I think that combo would be a real hit with the gelato! I like the lavender alone, but the combo is even better.
Call it Howling Duck Heaven if you manage to create it!
cheers,
HDR
July 26, 2009 at 9:55 AM
Ooerr, I’ve been told!
Tony sent me the link, “with instructions…”
So now I have to find some ‘useable’ lavender. I know this might sound daft (I love to grow pots of lavender here on the ffarm, varieties such as classic ‘Hidcote’; ‘Twickle Purple’; ‘Ashdown Forest; ‘Nana Alba’; ‘Loddon Pink’; ‘Cedar Blue’; ‘& ‘Sawyers’…..did you know, they’re great for keeping flies at bay? I always have pots of cheerfully-nodding lavender flowers as sentries at the cottage door during the summer months, as well as dotted around (out of munchies’ way, of course!) the animals’ accommodation. Elder works in a similar way, keeping the insects at bay.
However, there’s a problem. These days we cannot simply pluck fresh flowers from the garden, for infusion; we have to make sure the flowers have been ’sanitised’ for food use. So we have to purchase from an ‘approved’ source – & that’s not us, alas. And as you can imagine we have to ‘pay through the nose’ for such pleasures…..
But if a lavender gelato works half as well as Tony’s utterly exquisite ‘Turkish Delight’ variety (made with the finest Lebanese rosewater & not a “nature identical” chemical doused liberally with artificial colouring, to boot) – then he’s quite right to ‘organise’ me: I’ve always wanted to attempt a lavender gelato & your recipe gives us the ideal opportunity.
I’d better get in touch with our friends at Snowshill, in the Cotswolds; they grow the finest lavender in the UK, with over 50 acres (which makes 70 miles of rows!) of plants, all sown & grown by hand.
Incidentally if you saw the film “Bridget Jones’ Diary” parts of that too, were filmed in Snowshill village (where her parents lived); it’s also famous for the exquisitely honey-coloured stone of the famous old Manor House which was occupied by the eclectic, eccentric traveller, Charles Paget Wade. He was a true exponent of “colour, craftsmanship & design” – just what we believe in, as well. Whilst we lived in the Cotswolds we often visited the place; I thought our place was an extraordianary jumble – but Snowshill Manor deserves the accolade of the most curious collection of curios, ever!
Charles stuffed the manor house so full of his bizarre, collective collectables (including some uttery fearsome, life-sized Japanese warriors) that he himself ended up living in a tiny ‘crog-loft’ cottage, nestled in the gorgeously-gardened Manor house grounds; a true English eccentric, if ever there was one. It’s a warm, wonderful place – the name ‘Snowshill’ might sound cold but does not do this cosy little village justice: well worth a visit.
Meanwhile, on with the lavender….looking forward to this!
July 26, 2009 at 10:16 AM
P.S. Avocado gelato is lovely; however there is one fundamental problem. Using fresh fruits, it transforms the beautiful delicate-green hued flesh, to an ugly turgid brown as the gelato matures; & this can be a bit off-putting in terms of ice cream appetites….!
We also cannot use condensed milk as we can’t easily make it, ourselves. The only condensed milk available on the UK market, is cows’ milk; & of course as our gelato is crafted for people with a dairy intolerance so we can’t use anything other than our goats’ milk.
Tony adores condensed milk & I have considered attempting it using our own milk, myself; however I just don’t have the time……
Mind you I adore avocados & their smooth creaminess so will “have a play”, regardless.
July 27, 2009 at 2:32 AM
Ugh, no, the turgid brown gelato would not be appealing, certainly not going to win you any presentation awards! Hmmm, could you not make your own sweetened condense goat milk? Maybe not en masse, but for some home batch ‘to be eaten immediately’ type thing? I so wish I had managed to wrangle that recipe out of the Cantina owner’s hands. I might have to have a play myself and let you know what I come up with! I didn’t realize you were specializing in ‘dairy intolerance’ category, what saints you are!
cheers,
HDR
July 27, 2009 at 2:02 PM
Yup, we have to be very careful with what we put into our gelato, as a result. A lot of people have requested we do a Dulce de Leche variety; which we cannot, owing to the condensed/evaporated milk problem. I am however, tempted to have a go at making a confiture de lait, which ends up very similar; however it is a lot of work & I couldn’t produce it for commercial sale at present as we do not have cooking facilities in the Dairy at Food Centre Wales. Although I do have an industrial-sized bain marie, which might work; now there’s an idea….!
July 27, 2009 at 2:59 PM
You know, in Mexico there is a divine desert made with crepes and sweetened condensed goats milk as the syrup! If you found a way to condense the goats milk and put it into your gelato, it would be like a dulce de leche but with goats milk it is called Cajeta Quemada (literally, scortched goat’s milk) and has a much superior flavour to it than straight scm.