homemade mint jelly
Copy-and-Print Recipe at bottom of page!
The first autumn leaves are falling, & the mint patch is enjoying its last glorious days…it is mint jelly season!
This is based on a mint jelly recipe found inside the CERTO LIQUID FRUIT PECTIN box (pictured further below)!
INGREDIENTS:
1-1/2 cups fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3-1/2 cups sugar
1 pouch of CERTO LIQUID FRUIT PECTIN (one pouch contains 3 fluid ounces)
… And water!
That’s it!
You will also need 4 small (8-ounce size) clean Ball jars with new, flat jar lids.
1. First, wash mint & remove stems. Measure out 1-1/2 cups of firmly packed mint leaves.
2. Finely chop the mint leaves.
(One easy way to do this is to press the palm of your non-dominant hand on the front, top (non-cutting edge) of the blade to hold it down in one place as a pivot point (making sure fingers are safely out of the way); then with the other hand, just move the knife handle up & down, going from one end of the pile to the other until the mint is quickly & finely chopped.)
3. Add the mint to 2-1/4 cups of water & bring to a boil. Remove from heat, cover, & let stand 10 minutes. Strain the leaves out using a seive or a strainer, & discard or compost the leaves.
Then, pour the mint water through a damp, clean, smooth dishtowel placed over a bowl, to remove the remaining bits of leaves.
You can add a few drops of green food coloring, if you have some on hand, for a green jelly, or you can leave it the natural honey-yellow color shown above.
4. Measure out 1-3/4 cups of the mint infusion into a saucepan; you can add water to bring it up to that amount if you have less than that.
5. In the meantime, wash all your jars in hot, soapy water, rinse, & place on a clean towel next to the stove top.
6. Find a large pot, & fill with water. The jars will be placed in this to boil after they are filled with the jelly, so make sure you add enough water to cover the standing jars by 1 to 2 inches.
Bring the large pot of water to a rolling boil, then cover & just turn down to simmer until ready to use.
7. On the same towel on which the jars are waiting cleanly & patiently, place a small saucepan with the new jar lids inside.
Using a soup ladle, ladle hot water from the boiling pot of water over the jar lids. Just leave them sitting in the hot water until ready to use.
*it is important that the jars, lids, utensils, & jelly are all as clean as possible, so the jelly will stay preserved after it is sealed in the jar!
8. Now, to a saucepan containing the 1-3/4 cups of the mint infusion, add 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice.
9. And then, add 3-1/2 cups of sugar to the mint & lemon mixture.
(One can measure the sugar into a separate bowl first. It needs to be the correct amount in order for the jelly to set! It will not set if use less sugar or a sugar substitute.)
10. Bring this concoction of mint, lemon juice, & sugar to a full, rolling boil on high heat, stirring all the while.
11. …then add 1 envelope of the liquid pectin, stirring it in quickly but carefully.
Return to a full, rolling boil & boil exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly.
12. Remove the jelly from heat, & ladle calmly into the clean, prepared jars standing at attention on the towel.
Fill to within 1/8 of an inch to top of jar (fill a little more than shown in photo!).
13. With a clean, damp cloth, wipe the rims of the jars & threads.
14. Cover with the 2-piece lids (you can remove the lids in the pan of water using tongs if you have some available).
Screw on covers tightly.
15. Now, gently & carefully place the jars upright into the pot of boiling water so they are covered by at least 1 to 2 inches of water. Add more boiling water to them if they are not covered.
I use this handy implement to place the jars into the pot of boiling water:
Cover pot & bring water to a gentle boil & boil the jelly for 5 minutes. You will hear a soft clackety sound as the jelly jars tap dance in the bottom of the pot!
16. Remove the jars & place upright on the towel until completely cooled. After the jars are cooled, press the center of the lid down to test the seal. If the lid springs back, the lid is not sealed, & the jelly needs to be kept in the refrigerator until ready to eat.
Let the jars sit at room temperature for 24 hours. Store unopened jars in a cool, dry, dark place for up to 1 year!
Enjoy!
love,
Clay Ball
Copy-and-print version below!
Clay Ball’s Certo Homemade Mint Jelly directions:
INGREDIENTS:
1-1/2 cup fresh mint leaves (pack down when measuring them)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3-1/2 cups sugar
1 pouch of CERTO LIQUID FRUIT PECTIN (one pouch contains 3 fluid ounces of fruit pectin)
4 small (8-ounce size) Ball jars & rings; 4 new, flat jar lids
Prepare the mint infusion:
1. First, wash mint leaves & remove stems. Measure out 1-1/2 cups of firmly packed mint leaves.
2. Finely chop the mint leaves.
3. Add the mint to 2-1/4 cups of water & bring to a boil. Remove from heat, cover, & let stand 10 minutes. Strain the leaves out using a seive or a strainer, & discard or compost the leaves.
4. Pour the mint infusion through a damp, clean dishtowel placed over a bowl, to remove the remaining bits of leaves. Measure 1-3/4 cups of this mint infusion into a saucepan.
You can add a few drops of green food coloring, if you have some on hand, for a green jelly, or you can leave it the natural honey-yellow color of the mint infusion.
Prepare the clean jars, the sterile lids, & the water bath (to boil the jars after they are filled with the jelly):
5. Wash all your jars in hot, soapy water, rinse, & place on a clean towel next to the stove top.
6. Fill a large pot with water. The jars will be placed in this to boil after they are filled with the jelly, so make sure you add enough water to cover the standing jars by 1 to 2 inches.
Bring the large pot of water to a rolling boil, then turn down to simmer until ready to use.
7. On the same towel on which the jars are waiting cleanly & patiently, place a small saucepan with the new jar lids inside.
Using a soup ladle, ladle hot water from the boiling pot of water over the jar lids. Just leave them sitting in the hot water until ready to use.
Also have ready next to the stove:
–a clean, damp towel ready to wipe off the jars after filling them
–a clean dry towel to hold the jars steady (they will be very hot!)
–tongs or some other method to remove the lids from the pan of hot water when you are ready to place them on the jars.
–something to lower the jars gently into the pot of boiling water–I ended up using the large ladle-like strainer with a handle, pictured above.
Cook the jelly:
8. Now, to a saucepan containing the 1-3/4 cups of the mint infusion, add 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice.
9. And then add 3-1/2 cups of sugar.
(The directions say to measure the EXACT amount of sugar into a separate bowl first, I think in case of a miscalculation, can re-measure! The jelly will not set if less sugar is used, or if a sugar substitute is used!)
10. Bring this concoction of mint, lemon juice, & sugar to a full, rolling boil on high heat, stirring all the while.
11. Then add 1 envelope of the liquid pectin, stirring it in quickly but carefully. Return to a full, rolling boil & boil for exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Fill the jelly jars:
12. Remove the jelly from heat, & ladle calmly into the clean, prepared jars standing at attention on the towel.
Fill to within 1/8 of an inch to top of jar.
13. With a clean, damp cloth, wipe the rims of the jars & threads. Have a clean towel ready for your other hand to hold the jars steady, because they will be very hot.
14. Cover with the 2-piece lids (you can remove the lids in the pan of water using tongs if you have some available).
Screw on covers tightly.
Boil the jars:
15. Now, gently & carefully place the jars upright into the pot of boiling water so they are covered by at least 1 to 2 inches of water. Add more boiling water to them if they are not covered.
Cover pot & bring water to a gentle boil & boil the jelly for 5 minutes. You will hear a soft clackety sound as the jelly jars tap dance in the bottom of the pot–that is fine!
16. Remove the jars & place upright on the towel until completely cooled. After the jars are cooled, press the center of the lid down to test the seal. If the lid springs back, the lid is not sealed, & the jelly needs to be kept in the refrigerator until ready to eat.
Let the jars sit at room temperature for 24 hours. Store unopened jars in a cool, dry, dark place for up to 1 year!
Enjoy!
love,
Clay Ball
