Redbud Jelly

Preparation

Make redbud tea: Place blossoms in a large, heat-safe container and set aside. Bring water to a boil in a small pot, pour over the flowers, and stir. Cover loosely and set aside to steep for 24 hours, moving container to the refrigerator after the first two hours.

After 24 hours, use a fine strainer to remove plant matter from the tea. Squeeze excess liquid from the blossoms with your fingers and discard blossoms. You should end up with 2½ cups or more of pink liquid. (If you taste at this point, don’t expect it to be sweet.)

Make the jelly: Pour 2½ cups of the redbud tea into a large stockpot. Add the lemon juice and stir. (The pink color will intensify.) Place ¼ cup of the sugar in a bowl, add pectin powder, and mix to combine. Add to redbud tea mixture in the stockpot and stir to combine. Set stockpot on a burner turned to high. Stirring constantly with a spoon or whisk, bring the mixture to a roiling boil. Stir in the remaining sugar all at once, return to a roiling boil, and stirring constantly, boil for exactly one minute. (The jelly will foam up significantly; adding the optional butter will reduce foaming, but be careful to avoid splashing the hot liquid.)

Remove from heat. The jelly will begin to set up quickly, so moving with deliberate but careful speed, ladle into clean, sterilized half-pint jars, leaving ¼ inch of space at top. Wipe the jar rims with a damp cloth to remove any sticky bits, place lids on top, and secure with rings. Leave out for 12 to 24 hours to cool and rest, then move the jars to the refrigerator, where they will keep for about three weeks.

Note: This recipe is for jelly that will be stored in the refrigerator. If you prefer to put up for pantry storage, follow the hot water bath procedures you would for any shelf-stable canning.