Delicious elderflower jelly recipe
Delicate elderflower jelly with apple juice
Delicious elderflower jelly with apple juice – a real treat for the senses. Elderflower season is finally here, and what could be better than enjoying them in the form of delicious elderflower jelly? The great thing about it is that it can be made without any gelling sugar at all.
Elderflowers aren’t just a decorative feature in the garden, but also a culinary delicacy. The delicately scented blossoms are ideal for making syrup, liqueur and jelly. The latter is particularly popular and is easy to make yourself.
Elderflower jelly tastes especially delicious when enhanced with apple juice. The natural flavour of the elderflower is perfectly complemented by the fruity, slightly tart apple juice, giving the jelly a delicate touch. What’s more, apple juice fits perfectly with the season and gives the elderflower jelly a summery freshness.
Another advantage is that elderflower jelly can be made without gelling sugar. Instead, natural pectin and citric acid are used to set the jelly.
Freshly made, the elderflower jelly is an absolute treat for the palate. It’s perfect as a spread on bread or as an accompaniment to cheese and fish. It also works a treat as a sweet touch in desserts or ice cream.
In short: elderflower jelly made with apple juice is a real explosion of flavour. It can be enjoyed at any time of year, but especially during the current elderflower season, it’s a must for any food lover. Give it a try and let yourself be seduced by the unrivalled flavour of elderflower jelly.
The elderflower harvest
Elderflower harvesting takes place mainly in June, as this is when the trees are in full bloom. The fragrant clusters of elderflowers are not only beautiful to look at, but also true wonders of nature, possessing a wide range of health-promoting properties. More detailed information on elderflowers and how to harvest them follows below:
Elderflowers are rich in minerals, vitamins and antioxidants.
The flowers can be used to boost the immune system, and to help with colds and coughs, as well as headaches and tiredness.
When harvesting elderflowers, you should only select clean, undamaged clusters. It’s best to pick the flowers along footpaths and in woodland areas, as the trees there aren’t exposed to fine particulate matter from cars.
The best time to harvest is in early summer, when the flowers are fully developed but have not yet faded. It is best to harvest the flowers after 2–3 consecutive days of sunshine, as this is when they are at their ripest. Always give the flowers a gentle shake to remove any insects, but do not wash the umbels, otherwise all the pollen will be lost. The flowers should be processed as soon as possible after harvesting.
Key figures
Quantity: 1.75 kg of jelly
Cooking time: 5 to 6 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Shelflife: 1 year
Ingredients
| Water | Part 1 | 250 g | |
| Apple juice | 750 g | |
| lemon | 1 | |
| Elderflowers | large | 20–25 | |
| Granulated sugar | 750 g | |
| Pectin | 35 g | |
| Citric acid | 10 g | |
| Water | Part 2 | 10 g | |
Making the jelly
Bring the water, apple juice and the juice of one lemon to the boil briefly, remove the pan from the heat, then add the freshly picked elderflowers. When preparing the blossoms (umbels), make sure you trim off the larger, thicker stems and leave only the very fine, thin ones attached. Cover the mixture with a lid and leave the blossoms to infuse in the liquid for at least 24 hours. The longer you leave the blossoms to infuse in the liquid, the more intense the elderflower flavour will be.
Once the blossoms have steeped in the liquid for long enough, you can now strain them off. To do this, place a sieve in a large saucepan, line the sieve with a muslin cloth and pour the elderflower mixture into it. If you dampen the cloth beforehand, the straining process will be quicker.
Next, take the muslin cloth in your hand and wring it out really thoroughly. Using the muslin cloth also ensures that any tiny insects that may still have been in the flowers do not end up in the jelly.
In a separate bowl, mix the granulated sugar with the pectin, then add the mixture to the elderflower water. Bring the mixture to the boil, stirring continuously.
When the mixture comes to the boil, a light layer of foam will form on the surface. To ensure a lovely, clear jelly, we recommend skimming off this foam using a small, fine sieve. Mix the water (part 2) with the citric acid, then stir this into the jelly. Leave the jelly to boil vigorously for a total of 5–6 minutes.
Bring some water to the boil briefly and pour the hot water into the jars you intend to use for the jelly. Pour the water back into the saucepan, then use a funnel to pour the elderflower jelly into the sterilised jars. Screw the lids on, turn the jars upside down and leave them like that for a short while.
Finally, you can tie a bow around them and label the jars. They make excellent gifts and little treats to take along.
Storage & Shelf Life of Elderberry Jelly
The finished jelly will keep for up to a year.
Nutritional information per 100 g
Energy value in kJ:841 kJ |Energy value in kcal:201 kcal |Fat:1 g, of which saturated fatty acids: 0.2 g |Carbohydrates:9 g, of which sugars: 2 g |Protein: 4 g |Salt:0 g
Related products
Pectin (yellow ribbon), 30 g
Citric acid, 20 g
Straining cloth 90 x 85 cm
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Comments
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Frage zu einem rezept
By: Angelik On 2025-06-06Wozu soll es gut sein, die gläser auf den kopf zu stellen? Ich habe das noch nie gemacht.Vg
Replied by: Rebecca Odermatt On 2025-06-09
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