You can make your own floral jelly using blooms from around your yard. Learn how to make redbud jelly, including canning instructions.

I love making food from items I can wildcraft from my own yard.

Every spring my entire property is covered in pink from the dozens of Eastern Redbud Trees that grow all around.

And those redbud flowers are great for making jelly! It gives a sweet, lightly floral jelly that tastes like spring.

Here’s how to make your own.

 

 

How to Make Redbud Jelly!

 

Before you can make redbud jelly, you need to harvest the flowers.

It’s best to use your own redbud trees, as opposed to those in public locations, since you can be sure they haven’t been sprayed or otherwise treated with chemicals.

Remove just the flower. It’s easy to just close your hand around the branch and run your hand down it, stripping the flowers.

 

 

Step 1: Redbug Tea

Once you have harvested your flowers, it’s time to make tea with your redbud blossoms.

 

To make the redbud tea you will need:

8-10 cups of redbud blossoms

4-5 cups boiling water

 

Place the blossoms in a large jar. I use our half gallon mason jars. You can also split the blossoms into 2 quart sized jars if you want to.

Pour the boiling water over the blossoms and allow to cool.

Place a lid on the jar and allow the flowers to steep overnight in the refrigerator.

Then using a coffee filter, fine mesh sieve, or cheese cloth, strain out the flowers, reserving the liquid for the next step.

You will need 4 cups of tea total.

 

 

Step 2: Make Your Redbud Jelly

Now it’s time to actually make the flower jelly. This is a simple process, and I have included canning instructions as well.

 

To make redbud jelly you will need:

4 cups of redbud tea (if you don’t have enough, just add water to make this amount)

3-5 T Lemon juice (bottled)

4 1/2 cups sugar

1 packet pectin (I find that liquid pectin gels better in floral jellies, but powdered works too)

 

Place the redbud tea in a large pot and bring to a boil.

Add in the lemon juice and pectin and return to a rolling boil, stirring often.

Add in the sugar and bring back to a rolling boil.

Boil hard for 1-2 minutes stirring constantly.

 

 

Remove the pot from the heat and fill your clean jars to a 1/4 inch head space.

Wipe the rims with a damp cloth and cap with canning lids- tightening finger tight.

Once all jars are ready, place them in the near boiling water of a boiling water canner and lower the rack.

The water should be about 1 inch above the tops of the jars. Turn the heat up to high and place on the lid.

Once the water has reached a full boil, start your timer for 10 minutes.

Once the 10 minutes are up, turn off the heat and remove the cover from the canning pot.

Lift the canning rack up and allow the jars to sit in the canner for another few minutes.

Use the jar lifter to remove the finished jars from the canning pot and place the hot jars, not touching, on a towel covered surface to cool.

Put them in a place where they won’t be disturbed or bumped while they cool.

 

You should get about 6-7 half-pints from this recipe.

 

 

 

Common Questions on Making Redbud Jelly

 

Do you have to can this jelly?

Only if you want a shelf stable final product. You can freeze the jelly or make a smaller batch and store in the fridge for a couple weeks.

 

Can I reduce the sugar?

I have only made this recipe as stated above. Feel free to experiment with lower sugar or sugar substitutes such as stevia, honey, or maple syrup. You may need to use a low sugar pectin for the best results.

 

Can you use this method with other flowers?

Yes! We have made all sorts of floral jellies from the flowers in our yard. Honeysuckle jelly, forsythia jelly, and violet jelly are all great!

 

Other Jellies/Jams/Preserves

How to Make Strawberry Preserves

Honey Peach Preserves

How to Make Cucumber Jelly

How to Make Tomato Jam