by Texas Homesteader ~
Making Clover-Blossom Jelly is simple and results in a delicious easily-spreadable jelly your whole family can enjoy. We have many sweetly-fragrant clover blossoms in the pastures. Why not make Jelly with those blooms? It’s easy & so delicious!
Planting Clover For Our Honeybees
We often plant clover heavily in a small paddock right next to our beehives. It’s beautiful in full bloom!
But as we were walking through that paddock recently I commented to RancherMan how fragrant those blossoms were. I suspect there’s not a much sweeter delight than home-grown clover honey. #amiright? I need to make jelly from them!
Harvesting Clover Blossoms For Jelly
To make clover blossom jelly I first carefully picked about 4 cups of clover blossoms.
I mostly picked white clover blossoms but I also harvested some crimson clover blossoms as well. Maybe they will give an interesting tint of color to my jelly.
Making Clover Blossom Infusion
Making the infusion was easy:
Prepare blossoms by removing any stems or leaves. Clover Blossom Note: I’ve heard the greenery can cause your jelly to have an off or bitter taste.
Boil 4 cups of water, then remove from heat.
Place clover blossoms into the hot water, stir to immerse the blooms & cover the pot.
Allow the infusion to steep for at least 45 minutes. (I often allow the infusion to cool completely & store in the fridge overnight to infuse the flavor a little more.)
Strain the blossoms. Give the blossoms a gentle squeeze to make sure all the infusion was being captured. My infusion was colored like strong tea.
The spent blooms can go into the compost bucket. Nothing wasted!
Clover-Blossom Jelly Ingredients
Into a deep pan measure clover jelly ingredients:
4 cups of strained clover-blossom infusion
4 cups of sugar
1/4 cup of lemon juice
Turn stove heat to medium high & stir until the sugar is dissolved.
What is the Gel Point For Thick Jelly?
When making my jelly I attach my candy thermometer to the side of the pan and wait for the infusion to heat to 220 degrees, stirring constantly.
220 degrees is my jellying point here in NE Texas. But your gel point temperature could be different based on your altitude.
How Long To Simmer Jelly After Liquid Pectin Added?
When 220ºF was attained I added the two 3-ounce packets of liquid pectin and stirred until the mixture came to a boil again.
The jelly was allowed to boil for two more minutes. Now the jelly is done!
NOTE: If you will be canning your jelly you want to leave only 1/4 inch head space.
My jelly turned out a lovely amber color. (swoon…) Isn’t it beautiful??
It was delicious! Sweet, subtly flavored and not too thick to easily spread. The consistency would be perfect to spread onto toast or biscuits without tearing the bread, even after the jelly was chilled. Perfect!
How To Prepare Jelly For Water-Bath Canning
If desired you can preserve your homemade jelly with a water-bath canner. It’s easy!
First prepare 1/2-pint canning jars by washing and placing them on a cookie sheet in an oven set to 225 degrees.
CANNER’S NOTE: I heat my jars to 225 degrees and hold them at that temperature while my jelly is cooking. This helps protect against thermal shock & cracked jars that happen when hot jelly is poured into cool jars. It also helps sanitize my jars for food preservation.
Place flat canning lids into super-hot (not boiling) water to soften the seals to prepare them for canning.
Fill the water-bath canner with water and place on a burner to begin heating the water to boiling.
NOTE: You’ll need enough boiling water to cover the filled jars by about 1 inch.
Now you’re ready to can your jelly!
How To Water-Bath Can Clover Blossom Jelly
Using a canning funnel, add hot jelly to hot jars leaving only 1/4″ headspace.
Wipe off the jar’s rims to remove any residue & attach canning lids & rings finger-tight. Then place jars in a canning rack.
When all jars are filled, lower the rack into the boiling water of the canner.
NOTE: Jars should be covered by at least 1″ of boiling water
Once water returns to a boil, process jars for 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes carefully remove jars & place them on a kitchen towel away from drafts, allowing them to cool overnight.
The next morning check to see that all lids sealed by pressing the center with your finger. If it makes a plinky noise they did not seal. Place those jars in the refrigerator and begin enjoying them now.
For the sealed jars remove the rings & wipe the jars with soapy rag to remove any residual stickiness.
Label the lids and store jelly in cool dark place. Stored properly jelly should maintain good quality for about a year.
Troubleshooting Jelly Fails: Why Didn’t My Jelly Set?
We’ve all been there. You thought you did everything right but… Your jelly just didn’t set. Don’t worry, it happens to most of us at one time or the other.
If you’re looking for possible reasons, solutions or what to do with unset jelly I urge you to read Why Didn’t My Jelly Set.
I list solutions to try to remake the jelly and suggestions on how to use thin jelly too.
Homemade Jelly Makes Great Gifts Too
Homemade jelly makes great well-received homemade gifts. So go on out & grab some of those fragrant clover blossoms while they’re fresh & make some jelly!
Yes I’ll share my recipe. You’re welcome!
Did you make this Clover-Blossom Jelly? Please rate the recipe in your comment below!
Clover-Blossom Jelly
Harvest some of those sweet clover blooms and make a delicious blossom-infused jelly. It makes a great homemade gift idea too. #TexasHomesteader
Ingredients
- 4 cups Clover Blossoms
- 4 cups Boiling Water
- 4 cups Granulated Sugar
- 1/4 cup Bottled Lemon Juice
- 1 Box Liquid Pectin, (typically contains 2 3-oz pouches)
Instructions
Make Blossom Infusion
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To make an infusion, prepare 4 cups of clover blossoms by trimming away any green portions. If desired rinse blossoms in a colander & shake off any remaining water.
Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan, turn the heat off, then add the clover blossoms, covering the pan after blooms are placed in water. Allow them to steep for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Cook Clover-Blossom Jelly
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Strain the flowers from the liquid. Measure four cups of the infusion and return it to the saucepan – the mixture will rise quite a bit when it’s boiling so it’s best to use an over-sized pan.
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Add lemon juice and sugar and turn heat to medium high, stirring constantly. Bring the infusion to a hard boil that won’t stir down. (220 degrees)
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Add the pectin and boil for two minutes. Reduce heat if necessary to avoid boiling over.
Water-Bath Canning
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Ladle jelly into hot, sanitized jars, leaving 1/4" headspace. Screw on 2-part canning lids. Place jars in boiling water of a water-bath canner for 5 minutes.
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Remove jars and place on a towel, out of drafts and allow to cool for 24 hours. Test the lids to make sure the jars are properly sealed after that time.
Recipe Notes
I’ve refrigerated the cooled infusion with the blossoms overnight, and although the infusion was dark when I strained it, the jelly ended up amber-yellow and even more intensely flavored.
~TxH~
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Our Delicious Jelly & Preserves Recipes:
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- Blueberry/Lemon Jam – No Added Pectin
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Lovely recipe. Would using powder pectin work? Thanks kindly!
I think liquid pectin works more reliably for jelly. Some have substituted dry pectin for liquid pectin successfully but I have not. If you give it a try I’d love to hear your results! ~TxH~
I made the recipe exactly as directed and loved the flavor of the syrup before the lemon juice was added. After adding the lemon juice it had a citrus flavor. Is there a way to make the jelly without the lemon juice and it still set? Thanks
The acid in the lemon juice helps the jelly to set. I can’t recommend that you reduce the measure of lemon juice, but if you do I’d love to hear how it works for you! ~TxH~
Do you have a liquid pectin you prefer?
I’ve used various brands with success Shannon, but Certo is most available in our area and is what I typically use. ~TxH~
One other question, can you use powdered pectin instead of liquid. I found a gonga deal on it and bought 4 cases. If so, do you use a whole box? I am excited about trying this. I picked my blossoms in between rain showers this morning and I’m making the infusion now. I will make the jelly in the morning. Thank you so much
Powdered pectin is less expensive and certainly easier to store, but dang I’ve just never been successful using it. Even following the pectin instructions exactly to liquify it properly. I don’t ever have failures with liquid pectin, but powdered pectin whips me. If you’re usually successful with the powdered stuff you should be fine. ~TxH~
With powder pectin, you put it and the lemon juice in BEFORE the sugar. Then make sure you bring it to a boil for 1 min, and make sure all dissolved. THEN add your sugar and bring back to boil for 1 min. If you over-boil powdered pectin it will not set. (You may have know this already, but just in case… thought I’d put in my 2cents. ha)
You’re awesome to weigh in Melissa, and all who read will appreciate. Thanks! ~TxH~
Dumb question. I use dandelion blossoms to make tea and when I strain out the blossoms we eat them as a vegetable the next meal. So, can you eat the clover blossoms the same way?
I’m not a nutritionist or anything Saralee, but here’s what I personally think: Since you’re making blossom infusion with those clover blossoms, I presume that means the blossoms themselves are also edible. And with the same caveats as with dandelions – there’s no allergy situation (’cause you know folks are all different) and the blossoms have not been sprayed with insecticide or herbicide. Having said that, I’ve never eaten the blossoms. I guess I never really thought of doing so. Can someone weigh in here for Saralee’s question and your sharing own personal experience? ~TxH~
How did you get all of the little bugs out of the blossoms?
I’ve only ever noticed our honeybees on the clover blossoms Melissa. But I do rinse all harvested blooms thoroughly in fresh water & drain in a colander, I suppose if there were a tiny insect of some kind tucked into the blooms it would be rinsed away. But I’ve never found it to be a problem. ~TxH~
If you make extra amounts of the clover infused water, can you freeze it to make jelly later?
I’ve never frozen the infused water before, but I can’t imagine that it would affect future jelly. It’s just flavor-infused water so I’d imagine it would be fine! ~TxH~
That jelly sounds really good but you really should fill your jars to a 1/4 inch from the top which is what USDA guidelines recommend, then you could take them to the fair and win a prize.
Very good advice Lee. It’s always best to follow USDA guidelines. Thanks for the reminder. ~TxH~
Thank you so much for sharing your recipe! I will definitely try it! When I was a little girl my aunt used to make Dandelion Jelly, which was a great memory of mine. So, I not only make Dandelion Jelly, myself, but I also wrote a children’s book called “Dandelion Jelly,” which is available on Amazon.com and I included my aunts recipe in the book of which she had published in a cook book. Thank you again for sharing!
Tina Biby
It turned out great! So far I’ve made red clover, wisteria, and dandelion bloom jelly! They are all great. I love making forage jellies so much that I’m getting my cottage food license and going to start selling.
I made jelly this year with dandelion flowers. It is so good-tastes and looks like honey.
I was wondering if purple flowers on clover would work too?
We have white. pink, and purple clover here in Alberta, Canada.
I love any jellies made from natural plants.
I’ve heard clover jelly made with crimson clover blossoms would make a rose-colored jelly and I’m planning on trying that next spring. ~TxH~
it is amazing 🙂 next up in my list is Queen Annes Lace Jelly i will let ya’ll know.
I’ve never made Queen Anne’s Lace Jelly, Dorothy. I’m always afraid I’ll mistake it for the similar blooms of Poison Hemlock! LOL ~TxH~
Poison hemlock (Conium maculatum) vs. Queen Anne’s lace (Daucus carota): 1. Both are in the Apiaceae family and have hollow stems, but poison hemlock’s stem is hairless and has purple blotches. … On the other hand, the stem of Queen Anne’s lace doesn’t have purple blotches and is hairy.Jul 2, 2015
trying it today for the first time supee excited infusion has been in fridge overnight. i also foraged some mulberries yesterday and i am going to make a few jars of that as well. the honeysuckle is divine and the dandelion as well 🙂
I love the clover-blossom jelly Dorothy. I’ve had friends say they made the jelly with the crimson clover & the color was lovely but I’ve never had enough crimson clover blooms to try that yet. And you’re totally correct – the honeysuckle is divine and a fave in our household, much coveted by our grown children for gifts! ~TxH~
Can I replace the sugar with Splenda to make. Diabetic version of this jelly?
You need the sugar to jell, its a chemical thing.
Was your infusion green? Do you use just the petals? Or the head without the stem?
I use the whole blossom, but I pull off all stems & any greenery I see with the blooms. Give it a try, it’s delicious!
If I recall we talked about this before I moved. I would like to make some but try it with the purple clover that grows wild up here. I would also like to try it with the fireweed that also grows wild up here. My mom, one year when they went to Easter Washington found an elderberry tree and we made jelly when she came home.
Love the recipe, just one thing, your leaving too much headspace in your jars. 1/4″ is more like it (3/8ths ok) for there to be enough time to drive all the air out of jar for a better seal and product. If you want to stick to 1″ then maybe process for 10 min. Not trying to be a party pooper, just have been competitor for years at fairs, and a canning judge. Most canning books use 1/4″ for jellies. Thanks for your site, it’s tons of fun…cheers
This sounds great! I have been wanting to try violet jelly, so I am adding clover jelly to my list! I also have a request…. I was wondering if you’d give me more detail about the field of clover you planted? My husband and I have been wanting to do that but when doing research became confused about timing and varieties. Any insight? Oh, and a picture would be wonderful…..
🙂 gwingal
We don’t plant clover every year Nikki and when we do it’s oftentimes just whatever we decide pick up at the co-op. I’m particularly fond of crimson clover just because I love the way it looks but we seeded a bag of it along with the rye grass we seeded last fall but the seed was a year old and we didn’t get much germination from it. The clover I harvested from was in a small paddock that we’ve kept the cows off of so the bees could harvest the nectar from the clover blooms. I saw few little sprigs of crimson here & there but the white clover looks like (recalling from our previous year’s plantings) Ball or Durana with perhaps a little Arrowleaf. Some of it looks like the wild white clover blooming in my parent’s yard in another city, so I don’t think the variety of clover really makes much difference. ~TxH~
OMG. That looks and sounds divine.
It is, Colleen. It absolutely IS! ~TxH~
This sounds good. Might get back into canning (we haven’t done it in 35 years). Seems to be a bumper crop of the standard white clover this spring. We don’t have any crimson. I do hate to think about all the burrs this stuff will make that will end up on my little dog. BTW, love the remote training collar that you clued us on.
The jelly is delicious, Ken, and one of the easier recipes I’ve tried. Harvesting the blossoms takes some time but the jelly itslefl is bing-bang-boom! And I love that the training collar is working well for you too. It was certainly a lifesaver for us that’s for sure. We now have a happy, healthy, obedient pup that we can allow to roam the pastures with us & still keep her safe. ~TxH~