Honey jelly

[Hayesbo]

A few years ago, my wife and I found someone that made honey jelly. It was awesome.  I have tried to make some on my own, but can never get it to set(is that the right word?) right. It always came out too runny. Now that I have lots of honey and some time, I thought I would try it again.

Does anyone have any advice on how to get the honey to set into jelly?

I am not much of a canning or preserves maker so please keep the explanations simple enough for me. :-\

Thanks,  Steve

[JP]

Never heard of honey jelly before, but it sounds really interesting. I wouldn't mind trying it either. http://www.recipeland.com/recipe/1775/

Sincerely, JP

[Hayesbo]

Thanks J.P.

I will try that recipe soon. It sure looks simple. hope it works!

Steve

[Michael Bush]

Add more pectin.  Use less water.  Boil it longer.

[JP]

Is liquid pectin hard to come by?

[Dick Allen]

Here’s the recipe from an older edition of ‘ABC and XYZ of Bee Culture’ which is similar to the one JP posted, except it doubles the ingredients and doesn’t call for the second boil:

2 1/2 cups honey
1/2 water
1/2 cup liquid pectin.

Combine water & honey. Bring just to boiling, heating slowly to prevent scorching. Remove from heat, add pectin slowly, stirring constantly. Pour into clean jars.

One envelope of Certo® is 1/2 cup. The recipe in the book mentions using paraffin, but nowadays most recomendations call for hot water canning instead of paraffin.

(I just store mine in the fridge. It keeps good there.)

[Hayesbo]

J.P. Liquid pectin is right next to the powdered pectin in our grocery stores

[JP]

Thanks Steve. ;)
               
                  JP

[Kimbrell]

Honey Jelly
3 cups honey
1/2 bottle liquid fruit pectin
1 cup water

Measure honey and water together in a large saucepan and mix well.  Place over high heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Stir in the fruit pectin all at once.  Bring to a full rolling boil and boil hard for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat, skim, and pour quickly into jars.  Paraffin at once.  Makes about five 6 ounce jars.  (Source: American Bee Journal; August 1947.)

[Hayesbo]

thanks all.

I will let you know how they turn out.

Steve

[Dick Allen]

The recipes posted are all basically the same. JP's recipe is a good one to use if you want a small amount of jelly. The one I posted came from the 36th ed. of the 'ABC & XYZ' book. The one posted by Kimbrell makes an extra jar of jelly for the same amount of pectin used.

As mentioned previously, the one posted from 'ABC & XYZ' simply states to combine the honey and water, bring to a boil, remove from heat, and stir in pectin before pouring.  I had some crystallized honey that needed reliquifying, so last night I made a batch using 3 cups honey and 1 cup water that Kimbrell posted. But, I did it in the microwave and didn't do the second boil. After the honey was reliquified, I sitrred in a cup of hot water and microwaved it until it just came to a boil. ([Edit] Oh btw, I had to quickly skim it first before pouring in the pectin.) Then I stirred in an envelope (1/2 cup) of Certo and poured into jars. It jelled nicely once it cooled down.

[BGhoney]

I read the honey jelly page this morning and we made some this afternoon.  Just ate some, its very very good.  I made the one Dick Allen posted with the 2.5 cups honey.

It makes 7   4 ounce  jars.  Might make another batch tomorrow. 

Thanks for the Tip...

[jaypee]

Bringing honey to the boil destroys all the good things that make honey so different to liquid sugar. Unfortunately, pectin is like cornflour and requires the heat to congeal so to retain the goodness you have to change the gelling agent.

A sachet of unflavored gelatin needs only 1-2 tablespoons of hot water to be made liquid enough to blend into warmed honey to create a jelly. Unfortunately I don't remember the proportions of gelatin to honey, but if one sachet per pint does not do the trick then you may be able to rewarm and blend another one in. Refrigerating immediately after mixing helps set the gel but it does not have to be kept there.

Honey retains its qualities up to around 120 degrees because it is not unusual for supers to reach that temperature during heatwave conditions. This recipe does not change the flavor or the quality and when it is spread on hot toast it partially melts in. Jelly helps reduce the sticky mess that results when children make their own breakfast.

A sachet of gelatin is approximately one tablespoon and you can use it to make a cup of coffee that will blow away guests at dinner. You can vary the coffee to suit your taste, this happens to be my variation to provide an intense flavor.

     Brew coffee a little stronger than your preferred strength (decaf, espresso, whatever)
     To every pint (two cups) use one sachet
     If you like sugar in your coffee, use a little less than usual
     Mix sachet w/1 to 2 tablespoons of hot water
     Add sugar and sachet to hot coffee and stir until blended
     Pour coffee into serving cups or mugs
     Refrigerate

When everybody has finished eating serve cups of coffee with a blob of cream on top. Sharp guests will wonder why it does not melt in, others will pick up the cup and try to drink. Everybody laughs and reaches for a spoon. This recipe has never failed to please, and even people who do not like coffee have enjoyed it.

[JP]

Jaypee, Just wanted to say that its good to see you posting again.

Have agood one,


.....JP

[Cindi]

Jaypee.  Now doesn't that put an entirely different fling into that cup of java?  Sounds really really good, and maybe one day, for my dessert loving part of my family, I will give them this coffee.  Nice idea.  Have a wonderful and great day, love life.  Cindi