Forsythia Dandelion Jelly

FORSYTHIA DANDELION JELLY

 We are all thinking Spring, even though it has snowed so much over the weekend!  Spring, Spring...if we can just keep saying this to ourselves, and have everyone chanting the mantra...maybe that will turn the tides!  So this recipe will have to be one you keep on the back burner, at least until the snow melts and we can see Dandelions or Forsythia...patience my dear, patience.  It's such a lovely recipe, so cheerful and happy with the bright colors of the Dandelions and Forsythia...I just had to include it!  The original post is from the Homestead Lady--and she has much to say about her wild crafting if you wish to go to the original post.  Here, we are looking at the recipe...and it certainly is a good one!

A foraged, golden-colored, spring-tonic- jelly for your toast that includes real vanilla and raw honey.


INGREDIENTS

1. About 9 cups of blossoms
2. that become 3 cups of tea*
3. 3 cups quality honey
4. 2 Tbsp lemon juice
5. 1 Vanilla bean, cut open and scraped
6. 1 box regular pectin or appropriate amount of pectin (read the instructions in the box)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Pick about 8-10 cups of fresh blooms. This isn't an exact science. For this batch, the kids and I picked 1 part dandelions to 2 parts forsythia blooms. You can just make this with forsythia blooms but I like the pollen and color boost the dandelions give the jelly.
2. I don't bother to take the bottoms of the forsythia as they just taste "plant-y" but I do remove the green bottoms of the dandelions since they're bitter. I cut off the green part with kitchen scissors and keep the petals, pollen and fluff.
3. Pour enough boiling water over the flowers to cover them - at least 4 cups. The more water you add, the weaker the tea will be and, therefore, the less golden flavor the jelly will have in the end. Fiddle with the recipe a few times until you find what you like.
4. Steep the water and flowers for 4 hours or overnight.
5. Strain through cheesecloth to remove the flower parts, leaving a lovely, golden tea.
6. Put tea, lemon juice and box of pectin into a large saucepan. Add vanilla seeds - you can also add the vanilla bean for the boiling. If you do that, simply remove the bean before you put the jelly into jars. Or, to be all hip and stuff, leave the bean in one jar and gift it to someone extra special.
7. Bring to a boil.
8. Add honey.
9. Bring back to a boil and boil for about 2 minutes. Ladle into hot, prepared jelly jars, leaving 1/4 inch head-space and assemble the lids.
10. Process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes.
    I was in a rush and didn’t have time for the water bath canner and so I just filled the jars, secured the lids and inverted the jars on my counter-top overnight.  This will seal the jars – I’ve only ever done this with jams and jellies that have a high sugar content.  I don’t know if that breaks some cardinal rule of canning safety (always do your own homework) – I should go look on Simply Canning and see what Sharon says.  In the meantime, here’s what she says about replacing sugar with honey (what I did in this recipe because I wanted the flavor of honey) in a jam recipe 
11.