Violet Jelly Recipe

Rinse and drain blossoms; place in a large heat-resistant glass bowl. Pour boiling water over the blossoms and let stand for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Strain and reserve violet liquid, pressing with a spatula to extract all possible color. Discard blossoms. Measure violet liquid; add enough water to measure 3-1/2 cups (liquid will be blue-green). Stir in pectin and lemon juice (the liquid will turn a violet color). Pour into a large stainless steel saucepan; bring to a rolling boil, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat; skim off foam. Carefully ladle hot liquid into hot sterilized half-pint jars, leaving 1/4-in. headspace. Remove air bubbles; wipe rims and adjust lids. Process for 5 minutes in a boiling-water canner. Yield: about 5 half-pints. Editor's Note: Only pick flowers from chemical-free woods or lawns. Also, be sure your blossoms come from the common wild violet, not the African violet houseplant, which is inedible. The processing time listed is for altitudes of 1,000 feet or less. Add 1 minute to the processing time for each 1,000 feet of additional altitude.