Yes, that's a mighty big promise to start out with, but you guys, this jelly is that good. The aroma, the color, the taste--I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since I made this batch of jelly on Monday.
Finding the right recipe took a little bit of time. I looked through about half a dozen variations, but nothing jumped out at me as exactly what I was looking for, so I started to compare recipes, looking for the basic proportions of basil, water, sugar, acid, and pectin to use as a starting point.
The first task at hand was to extract the basil flavor and color for the jelly. Most of the recipes I looked at called for combining the basil leaves and water in a large pot and slowly bringing it to a boil, but when I tried this method, I found that the basil leaves browned very easily as they came in contact with the hot metal and the resulting color of the liquid was more of a brownish green (the flavor was good, but it wasn't exactly the aesthetic I was hoping for), so I tried I different approach with the second batch. This time I prepared the basil and placed it in the bottom of a large glass bowl while I brought some water to a boil. I then measured out 2 cups of boiling water and poured it over the basil in the glass bowl. This time the basil turned a brilliant bright green (no browning at all) and the liquid was a much prettier pale green (not to mention, the kitchen smelled amazing afterwards!).
Once I had the liquid prepared, I added sugar and started to cook the jelly. Again, most of the recipes I considered were in agreement, using vinegar for acidity, but I really had my heart set on that classic lemon-basil combination, so I substituted bottled lemon juice for vinegar (a safe substitution for canning recipes, but it is recommended to use bottled lemon juice, as it is more consistently acidic than fresh squeezed). Per the basic formula I was following, I started with two tablespoons, but after tasting it, I added two more tablespoons to make sure that both the lemon and the basil flavors were discernible. The results were pretty spectacular, if I do say so myself!
It's worth noting that the intensity of the basil flavor will vary, depending on what variety you use (I am growing all Sweet Basil this year). Though the recipe below calls for 1/4 cup bottled lemon juice, you may want to start with a minimum of 2 tablespoons and add more to taste.
It's been quite a while since I made jelly, and this was my first time making it all on my own without mom to coach me with any of her jelly-making wisdom, but I managed through, adding the liquid pectin, returning it to a quick one minute boil, and skimming off the foam before filling the jars. All the while being mesmerized by the pretty pale green color and wonderful scent of basil and lemon!
The jelly set up beautifully, and has a great flavor and aroma. I ended up with four half-pint jars canned, and one open jar in the refrigerator (which I'm not ashamed to admit that I regularly open, just to smell and sneak a little taste). I'm definitely looking forward to finding some great uses for this jelly in the kitchen!
I'm also looking forward to making another batch of this jelly the next time the basil starts to get ahead of me - It's definitely a new favorite and a seasonal must-make! I'd also love to try different varieties of basil to see how they compare. Note to self: plant more Lemon Basil next year for this very purpose.
2 cups fresh basil leaves, tightly packed
2 cups water
3 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup bottled lemon juice
3 oz. package liquid pectin
Rough chop basil leaves and place them in a large glass bowl and set aside. Bring water to a boil and pour over the basil; cover and let sit for 15-20 minutes. After time has passed, pour liquid through a strainer to remove leaves and measure out 1 1/2 cups of the liquid.
Combine liquid with sugar and lemon juice in a large pot and slowly bring to a boil. When the boil is constant and cannot be stirred down, add the liquid pectin. Stirring constantly, return to a rapid boil and boil for 1 minute and remove from heat promptly.
Skim off any foam on the surface of the jelly and fill sterilized jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Process in hot water bath for 15 minutes.
Yield: 5 half-pint jars
Recipe heavily adapted from several sources, but I depended most heavily on Renee's Garden for method.
Beautiful job! Thanks for sharing what you learned. I'm curious, did you make the jelly in a metal pan, or did you somehow cook it down in a glass pan to keep the color?
ReplyDeleteGreat question, SJ! I used a regular stainless steel pot to cook the jelly. I only used the glass bowl for the basil leaves; once the liquid was infused with the basil, it did not change color as it cooked - it appears the basil leaves themselves were the issue in that regard.
DeleteThis looks beautiful and sounds delicious! I love basil, and look forward to giving it a try.
ReplyDeleteThank you! Yes, the basil flavor is wonderful!
DeleteThis looks AMAZING! I have to make some-- thanks for the inspiration!
ReplyDeleteYou are very welcome! Thanks for stopping by!
DeleteThis looks awesome! I will definitely be making some soon. We have a bumper crop of basil already, and still have pesto in the freezer from last year's huge crop, so I'm looking for more uses. What do you do with the jelly once it's made? I'm trying to think of ways to use it, and other than the typical cream cheese + savory jelly appetizer, I'm not sure what to do with something like this.
ReplyDeleteThank you! I think it could have a few good applications in both sweet and savory dishes. I plan to use it in some baking, paired with lemon or other citrus-y flavors. It would also be good as a base for a glaze for meat or fish or a vinaigrette!
DeleteThose are all fantastic ideas - thank you! I am definitely going to try this - our basil is already starting to try to flower, so I need to hack the tops off and do something ASAP.
DeleteYou are very welcome!
DeleteI'm making this tonight - can't wait to see how it turns out! It seems like it would be very tasty on that orange citrus-y olive oil cake...
DeleteThat sounds great - I'd love the link to that cake recipe!
DeleteI have a crop of basil just begging to be used, and this looks fantastic! I'm going to give it a try this afternoon. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome! It's a great way to use up extra basil!
DeleteI have been looking for a jelly recipe to use my cinnamon basil. I've found it! :) Thanks so much! I'll be making this today.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome! I'd love to see how the cinnamon basil turns out!
DeleteFYI- This ABSOLUTELY DOES NOT WORK with Genovese basil. No matter what I do, I end up with brown liquid. But I can get a great color with Italian basil. So if you are going to use any other type of basil, run a small test first to make sure you get a color you can live with.
ReplyDeleteHi Nicole, I'm sorry to hear that you have had such a hard time with this recipe. I have not experimented with using different types of basil, so I can only share what I experienced using Sweet Basil - but Ellen's advice in the comment below is good. I picked the basil and processed it immediately, and this makes perfect sense if you've ever made pesto with basil that's been hanging out for a few days - it browns much faster than pesto made with fresh basil. I'm going to do some searching and see if I can find some additional information that might help you out and I will post anything I find that might be helpful. I appreciate you sharing your experience - thanks!
DeleteNicole, I want to help you out. I am a farmer and the variety "Genovese" is an Italian Basil. For better results, rinse the basil before you strain your basil through triple folded cheesecloth. Also, for this particular variety, the basil MUST be fresh and not have been stored overnight in a refridgerator/cooler or outside where it can easily wilt or begin to die and dry out. I say try again. Hold your jar up to thr picture first posted here in the beginning of this blog. It should look very similar- also look at it in natural lighting. I learned all this tonit through trial and error, and thought it was too brown until I compared it. I really hope this helps you. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your advice, Ellen! I did use very fresh basil when making this jelly - I picked it from the garden in the backyard and went to work on washing and processing it immediately. It was also fairly new growth, so lots of smaller, new leaves in the mix, which might be another variable to try to achieve a more desirable color. Thanks again for sharing!
DeleteThe Genovese basil was fresh, rinsed, and grown organically. I picked it myself within hours of using it and did not put it anywhere near a refrigerator. No matter how I tried to steep it (put hot water directly on it in glass, heat it up slowly in enameled cast iron) the results were brown. I used a very small quantity of Italian basil for comparison and the results were always a brilliant green.
DeleteIt sounds like it may simply be that particular variety. If you follow the Renee's Garden link at the bottom of the post, it does mention that color results will vary by variety, so it's reasonable to assume that there could also be some variation with different types of "green basil." I'm glad that you were able to find a variety of basil that worked well for you! Thanks again for sharing!
DeleteQuestion: My basil leaves were not nearly as large and lush as yours so I added extra basil - around 3 cups total. After finishing cooking the jelly, I tested a little bit and I can barely taste the basil due to all the sugar. Is it supposed to be so sweet, or is my basil really that lame?
ReplyDeleteAlso...the jelly didn't set. So, today I did more basil - this time fresher - with 1/2 cup of water; boiled for 10 minutes, added it to the failed batch that was reheating (squeezed the heck out of the basil to get every last drop of oil out of it), and put ANOTHER pack of pectin in with the whole thing. It still won't set and it still just tastes like a sugary lemon gel. What. The. Heck.
DeleteHi Kristine, The jelly is certainly sweet - with basil being low acid, I stuck precisely to the basic ratio of sugar, lemon juice, and basil/water that I was seeing over and over again in other recipes to ensure that it was a canning safe recipe, and as a result, it is a sweet recipe. That said, I didn't find it to be overly sweet with the balance of basil and lemon. I can definitely detect the basil flavor in my jelly - it has a really herbaceous quality to it. My best guess is that it's a variable in the basil used - either a different variety or different growing conditions.
DeleteAs for the set, there are a number of variables that can impact that. Any slight change to the ratio of ingredients, cooking time, what temperature is being achieved during the boil, even the brand of pectin, etc. could make a difference. This is a link that might be helpful in trouble shooting: http://www.pickyourown.org/pectin.htm I achieved a really firm set with Certo brand liquid pectin, following the exact measurements above. I hope this helps - good luck!
Hi, I just made this jelly tonight, having loads of basil from my garden. I don't like using artificial pectin, however, so I pulled out a cup of red currant juice (made using a juice steamer a few weeks ago), because currants have a lot of pectin themselves. I added water to the currant juice until it was 2 cups. I used juice of 1 lemon, freshly squeezed, and the jelly jelled nicely. It is very dark red and tastes quite amazing! Oh, total amount of sugar used was 400 g and most of my basil was lemon basil. This jelly should go well with cold cuts, quiches, and in fruit smoothies, mmmmmm can't wait
DeleteSounds like a great adaptation! Thanks for sharing!
DeleteI just made this - it is delicious and set perfectly! Everyone should try it.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for sharing!
DeleteCan lime juice be substituted for the lemon?
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely! Lemon and lime juice can be used interchangeably in canning recipes.
DeleteLove it!!! The color of both of my batches was very different from your picture, but I tried a little bit of it and it tasted delish. I have more basil and might try another couple batches tomorrow. Going to give these as gifts!
ReplyDeleteI know this is years later but I want to thank you for this recipe. I used my purple basil and after steeping the liquid was violet then when I added the lemon juice it turned a lovely shade of hot pink. It is some of the prettiest jelly I have ever made and tasty with goat cheese.
ReplyDelete