When great weather arrives, bringing with it the bounty of sunshine, I spend less time in the sewing studio.
I have always enjoyed canning. Some of my most favorite memories are of my Mom canning and she passed on that love to me.
The rhubarb is ripe, and one of my favorite jams is a rhubarb, strawberry and pineapple mix.
I am also trying something new to me.
We have an abundance of lilacs all over the property.
Did you know that the flowers are edible?
I was very surprised at how easy it is to separate the flowers from the stems. It also doesn’t take all that much to fill two quart jars.
I did look for the darkest blossoms, so I didn’t harvest any from the shrub you see pictured above. I have several varieties of whites and purples. I want the darkest to get the most color that I can.
Hot water is poured over the petals to make a tea.
I left mine to soak several hours to be sure and extract all that goodness from the petals.
Boiled with lemon, sugar and pectin to make the jelly:
I forgot to take a photo of the jars after the water bath, but you understand.
Delicious!
There are several recipes online. Here are two if you would like to try this:
Have fun and carry on!
