1.5 cups - firmly packed mint leaves - 375 mL
2.25 cups – water - 550 mL
2 tbsp - lemon juice - 30 mL
3.5 cups - granulated sugar - 875 mL
Green food coloring (optional)
pouch (3 ozl - 85 mL) liquid pectin
- Place 4 clean 8-ounce (250 mL) mason jars on a rack in a boiling-water canner. (You can also use a large, deep saucepan or stockpot that is at least 3 inches/7.5 cm deeper than the height of the jars.) Fill the jars and canner with cool water that reaches the top of the jars. Cover and bring water to a simmer over medium heat. Do not boil.
- Prepare 4 two-piece closures. Set screw bands aside. Place lids in a small saucepan and cover with water. Heat just to a simmer over medium heat, but do not boil. Keep lids warm until ready to use. Do not heat screw bands.
- In a colander placed over a sink, rinse mint leaves thoroughly under cold running water. Shake off excess moisture and chop finely.
- In a large stainless steel saucepan, combine mint and water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove from heat, cover and let steep for 10 minutes. Pour liquid into a damp jelly bag or a cheesecloth-lined sieve set over a large glass measure. Let drip until you have 1 %cups (425 mL) of mint-flavored liquid.
- In a clean large, deep stainless steel saucepan, combine mint-flavored liquid, lemon juice and sugar. Over high heat, stirring constantly, bring to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down. Stir in liquid pectin, squeezing the full content from the pouch. Boil hard, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add a few drops of food coloring (if using). Remove from heat and, using a large slotted metal spoon, skim off foam.
- Some jellies set up very quickly, so it is important to move quickly when transferring cooked jelly from the pot to the jars. Because jellies are pure liquids, bubble removal for each jar is not required. Remove a jar from canner and empty hot water back into canner. (Do not dry jar.) Place jar on a tray or towel-covered counter and place a canning funnel in it. Quickly ladle or pour hot jelly into hot jar, leaving 14 inch (0.5 cm) headspace. With a clean damp cloth or paper towel, wipe jar rim and threads to remove any food residue. Using a magnetic or nonmetallic utensil, lift a hot lid from water and center it on jar. Place screw band on jar and, with your fingers, screw band down evenly and firmly, just until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip-tight. Do not over-tighten or use any tools to apply screw bands. Return jar to canner rack and repeat until all jelly is used.
- When all jars are filled, lower rack into canner and ensure jars are completely covered by at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) of hot water. Cover canner and bring water to a full rolling boil over high heat. Process (continue boiling rapidly) for 10 minutes, starting timer only when water reaches a ~ rolling boil. At the end of the processing time, turn heat off and remove canner lid. Wait 5 minutes, then remove jars, without tilting. Place jars upright on a towel in a draft-free place and let cool, undisturbed, for 24 hours.
- After 24 hours, check lids for seal. Remove screw bands and press down on center of each lid with your finger. Sealed lids will be concave (they'll curve downward) and will show no movement when pressed. Jars that haven't sealed properly must be refrigerated immediately or reprocessed (see page 418). Rinse and dry screw bands. Wipe jars and, if desired, loosely reapply screw bands. Label jars and store in a cool, dry, dark place.