Directions:

• Place 4 clean 250 mason jars on a rack in a boiling water canner. Cover jars with water and heat to a simmer (180°F/82°C). Set screw bands aside. Keep jars hot until ready to use.


• Preheating Bernardin® lids is not advised. The sealing compound used for our home canning lids performs better at room temperature than it does pre-heated in simmering water (180°F). Simply wash lids in hot, soapy water, dry, and set aside until needed. Preheating can lead to less vacuum being achieved during water bath canning, and to buckle failures during pressure canning.


• Wash herbs in lots of cool running water. Shake off excess moisture and place herbs in a stainless steel saucepan. Press herbs with a spoon or masher to bruise leaves and release flavour. Add juice; heat to a boil; cover and let steep 30 minutes or longer. Pour prepared mixture into dampened jelly bag or cheese cloth-lined sieve suspended over a deep container. Let drip 20 minutes to collect juice.


• Measure 3-1/2 cups (875 ml) herb infusion into clean large, deep stainless steel saucepan; add 1/2 tsp (2 ml) butter or margarine to reduce foaming, if desired. Gradually add No Sugar Needed Fruit Pectin stirring until pectin fully dissolves. If using sweetener, measure it and set aside.


• Over high heat, bring herb infusion-pectin mixture to a full rolling boil.
  
  
  
  • o If using, add sweetener (sugar or SPLENDA®) and return mixture to a boil.
  
  
  • o Stirring constantly return mixture to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down. Boil hard 1 minute. Remove from heat. Skim foam, if necessary.
  
  
  
  


• Quickly ladle hot jelly into a hot jar to within 1/4 inch (.5 cm) of top rim (headspace). Using nonmetallic utensil, remove air bubbles. Wipe jar rim removing any stickiness. Centre sealing disc on clean jar rim. Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip tight. Return filled jar to rack in canner ensuring jars are covered by water. Repeat for remaining jelly.


• When canner is filled, ensure that all jars are covered by at least one inch (2.5 cm) of water. Cover canner and bring water to full rolling boil before starting to count processing time. At altitudes up to 1000 ft (305 m), process – boil filled jars – 10 minutes.


• When processing time is complete, turn stove off, remove canner lid, wait 5 minutes, then remove jars without tilting and place them upright on a protected work surface. Cool upright, undisturbed 24 hours; DO NOT RETIGHTEN screw bands.


• After cooling check jar seals. Sealed lids curve downward and do not move when pressed. Remove screw bands; wipe and dry bands and jars. Store screw bands separately or replace loosely on jars, as desired. Label and store jars in a cool, dark place. For best quality, use home canned foods within one year.

Notes & Tips

Notes & Tips:

If using an artificial sweetener other than SPLENDA®, adjust quantity to sweetener you are using and stir sweetener into mixture immediately after completion of boiling, before filling jars.

Sugar – Adjust sugar level to desired sweetness, staying within a 1 to 3 cups (250 to 750 ml) range.

During the boiling time, reduced-sugar and sugar-free fruit spreads do not bubble up as high as high as full sugar products. The mixture should, however, bubble constantly while being stirred for the full 1 minute hard boil.