Mint-Lemon or Lime Jelly with Honey

Step 1

Before you begin, prepare calcium water.To do this, combine ½ teaspoon calcium powder (in the small packet in your box of Pomona’s pectin) with ½ cup water in a small, clear jar with a lid. Shake well.Extra calcium water should be stored in the refrigerator for future use.

Step 2

Wash and rinse jars, lids, and screw bands. Set screw bands aside until ready to use. Place jars in boiling water bath canner with a rack, fill at least 2/3 of the way full with water, and bring to a boil. Boil jars for 10 minutes to sterilize (add 1 additional minute of sterilizing time for every 1000 feet above sea level), then turn down heat and let jars stand in hot water until ready to use. Place lids in water in a small pan, bring to a low simmer, and hold there until ready to use.

Step 3

Pick through your mint to be sure that it’s clean, and rinse it if necessary. Measure out 2 well-packed cups of mint leaves and stems. Transfer the mint to a heat-proof bowl and pour the hot water over the mint. Make sure that the mint is fully submerged in the water, and allow the mixture to steep for 20 minutes.

Step 4

Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth into another container, reserving the mint-infused liquid, and discarding the mint leaves and stems.

Step 5

Measure out 4 cups of the mint-infused liquid. (If you don’t have quite enough, just add a little bit more water.) Pour the measured amount of the mint-infused liquid into a large sauce pan. Add the juice and calcium water, then stir to combine.

Step 6

In a separate bowl, combine the honey and pectin powder. Mix well and set aside.

Step 7

Bring the mint-infused mixture up to a rolling boil over high heat. Add the honey-pectin mixture, then stir vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes, still over the highest heat, to dissolve the pectin. Return jelly to a boil, then remove from heat.

Step 8

Remove hot jars from canner and fill jars with jelly, leaving ¼ inch of headspace. Remove trapped air bubbles, wipe rims with a damp cloth, and put on lids and screw bands, tightening bands only to “fingertip tight” (until resistance is met, and then just the tiniest bit more).

Step 9

Place jars in the hot water, on the rack inside the canner. (Make sure jars are upright, not touching each other or the sides of the canner, and are covered with at least 1-2 inches of water). Place the lid on the canner, return the canner to a rolling boil, and boil for 10 minutes. (Add 1 minute additional processing time for every 1000 feet above sea level.)

Step 10

Turn off heat and allow canner and jars to sit for 5 minutes. Then remove jars from canner.

Step 11

Allow jars to cool undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours. Then confirm that jars have sealed. Remove screw bands from sealed jars, rinse off outside of jars if necessary, label jars, and store for later use.