Basil Jelly

Submitted by LonghornMama

"This is a wonderful way to use the fresh basil from your garden. I've been meaning to make this forever and am so glad I finally did. Delicious, easy, unusual and a beautiful green color. Would make an excellent gift for the holidays. Wonderful as an appetizer with cream cheese and crackers. I found this in Taste of Home by Sue Gronholz, who also suggests combining a jar with one cup of barbecue sauce and simmering mini meatballs or cocktail wieners in the mixture. This recipe assumes knowledge of hot water bath canning. Detailed directions can be found in the Canning Forum."

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Ready In:: 45mins
Ingredients:: 5
Yields:: 6 half-pints

ingredients

1 quart water
2 cups firmly packed fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
1 (1 3/4 ounce) package powdered fruit pectin
3 drops green food coloring (I used a touch of green paste coloring)
5 cups sugar

directions

In a large saucepan, bring water and basil to a boil. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 10 minutes. Strain and discard basil.
Return 3 2/3 cups liquid to the pan. Stir in pectin and food coloring. Return to a rolling boil over high heat. Stir in sugar. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; skim off foam.
Pour hot liquid into hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Adjust caps. Process for 15 minutes in a boiling water bath.