Recipes Recipe List: “March 1, 20 KUDZU BLOSSOM JELLY

KUDZU BLOSSOM JELLY

KUDZU BLOSSOM JELLY
KUDZU BLOSSOM JELLY

KUDZU BLOSSOM JELLY

Ingredients

4 cups kudzu blossoms
4 cups boiling water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 (1 3/4-ounce) package powdered pectin
5 cups sugar

Preparation

Wash kudzu blossoms in cold water; drain and place in a large bowl. Pour boiling water over blossoms. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. Pour blossoms and liquid through a colander into a Dutch oven, discarding blossoms. Add lemon juice and pectin to liquid. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in sugar. Return to a rolling boil and boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off foam with a spoon. Quickly pour jelly into hot, sterilized jars, filling to 1/4-inch from top. Wipe jar rims. Cover at once with metal lids and screw on bands. Process in a boiling water bath 5 minutes. Cool on wire racks. Makes 6 half-pint jars. (NOTE: Throughout the jelly-making process, Joan says the blossom liquid has “a very unpleasant look and odor.” But the finished product, she insists, is out of this world.)