Basil Jelly

Okay - since you asked, I'll tell you what my fiancee does with the Basil
Jelly I make for him - he puts it in peanut butter and basil jelly
sandwiches! He loves them! Personally, I think its a little revolting,
but Basil jelly would go nice with pastas or italian cuisine, maybe even
on garlic bread. Maybe an addition to pesto? The recipe is as follows:

1 cup (lightly packed) fresh basil leaves - the fresher the better!
1 cup white vinegar
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 cups water
6 1/2 cups sugar
Two 3 oz. pouches Certo liquid pectin
Green food coloring (just enough to give it a nice emerald green color,
about 7 drops or up to 1 teaspoon full)

Place the basil leaves, lemon juice and vinegar in an 8 to 10 quart sauce pot. The larger size is necessary since this recipe boils up a LOT. Let the basil, lemon juice and vinegar stand while you are measuring the two cups water. Add the water and food coloring. Heat almost to boil, stirring to blend, then add all the sugar at once. Stir to
dissolve sugar. Bring to hard boil, add two 3-ounce pouches of Certo
liquid pectin, 6 ounces total. (Make sure to get as much of the 6 ounces
as you can into the kettle, and not all over your hands and stove, like I
normally do! The jelly will not set without all the pectin.) Bring back
to boil, boil hard for 1 minute or until jelly point is reached. Remove
from heat. Remove basil leaves with slotted spoon. Pour immediately
into hot, sterilized 1/2 pint jars, seal and process 10 minutes in
boiling water bath. Makes 6 to 7 half pints.

This recipe produces a nicely set jelly that is sweet, but with a real
kick to it! Personally, I like to use 4 different types of basil leaves
in the recipe to add up to one cup, but you may use what you like. This
receipe can also be used for other herbs, like oregano, rosemary, mint,
parsley, thyme, etc.

Hope you enjoy it. I am proud enough of it to enter it in the county
fair this year.

Cheers!
Judy Spiker
(judyms@lsid.hp.com)

Source:

Judy Martin-Spiker (judyms@lsid.hp.com)
rec.food.preserving