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Elderflower Jelly | Clear Spring Jelly from Lemon-Infused Blossoms Jam

Elderflower Jelly | Clear Spring Jelly from Lemon-Infused Blossoms

5.0 1 review 0 views
Ayşe ŞahinkayaCommis
 31 August 2026 Last updated: 31 August 2026

Elderflower jelly is made by steeping and straining the cream-colored flower clusters of black elderberry, which blooms in May and June, with lemon, then setting the infusion with pectin into a clear, pale-gold jelly. Its aroma is reminiscent of muscat grapes and lemon blossoms; it pairs well with buttered bread or yogurt. Use only the open flowers of black elderberry (Sambucus nigra), which grows as a shrub or tree; do not eat its leaves, stems, bark, or raw berries.

Step by Step

How to make it?

1

Prep the flowers

25 min

Shake the flower clusters to remove insects; do not wash them, because water removes the fragrant pollen. Hold each cluster by its stem and comb the tiny flowers off with a fork into a bowl. Remove as many green stems as possible; the stems are inedible and make the infusion bitter.

2

Steep

10 min

Bring the water to a boil and remove it from the heat. Put the flowers and lemon slices in a glass or stainless-steel container, pour the hot water over them, cover, and once cool, refrigerate or move to a cool place.

3

Strain

10 min

Strain the infusion through a double layer of cheesecloth. Do not squeeze the flowers, so the jelly stays clear. Measure 650 ml; if there is less, top it up with water.

4

Boil with the pectin

10 min

Thoroughly combine the pectin with 50 g sugar in a bowl; pectin that is not mixed with sugar will clump. Put the infusion and lemon juice in a large pot, whisk in the pectin-sugar mixture, and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly.

5

Add the sugar and reach the setting point

10 min

When it reaches a vigorous boil that cannot be stirred down, add the remaining sugar all at once. Once it returns to the same boil, cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and skim off the foam when a drop on a cold plate wrinkles when pushed after 1 minute, or when a thermometer reads 104–105°C / about 220°F.

6

Jar the jelly

15 min

While the jelly cooks, wash the jars and lids with hot, soapy water, then boil them for 10 minutes. Keep them in hot water until ready to fill. Pour the hot jelly into hot jars, leaving 0.5–1 cm headspace. Wipe the rims with a clean, damp cloth and seal. For jars intended for pantry storage, process them with the lids on in a boiling-water bath for 10 minutes.

Reminder

Steep the flowers in a covered container in the refrigerator or a cool place for 24 hours; the jelly also needs 24 hours to set fully in the jar. Neither waiting period is included in the active time. Black elderberry is a woody shrub or small tree; do not confuse it with the herbaceous dwarf elder (Sambucus ebulus) or umbelliferous plants such as hemlock. Do not forage plants you cannot identify.

Nutritional Values · 1 serving

Values are estimates
52 kcalCalories
0 gProtein
12.9 gCarbohydrate
0 gFat
0 gFiber
12.6 gSugar
1 mgSodium
0 gSaturated Fat
Protein 0% Carbohydrate 100% Fat 0%
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