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honey jelly

82K views 55 replies 22 participants last post by  Cabin 
#1 ·
i finally tried the honey jelly recipe from the super formulas book with honey, water and liquid fruit pectin. it states give it a chance don't throw it away to early thinking it won;t set up. it has been 3 wks. now and still runny as water, what happened? could i use the gungel jell, [i think it is called, from a maple syrup jelly recipe] or is something else that works?
 
#4 ·
Beefarmer
My wife and I made and sold over 400 8oz jars of honey jelly last summer at farmers market. We have over 250 jars now for next summer that we made out of high moisture honey. Use 3 cups of honey and 1 cup water plus 1 bag of liquid pectin. The jelly will start to set up as soon as it cools. If you use more honey or water it will be runny.
Check your measuring cup, we have found that they are not all the same. We have found that some 4 cup measuring cups are off by a half cup.
 
#6 ·
Barry
Yes we a make profit. We buy jars in the spring on sale and the fall during close outs, some times we can get pectin on close out to. We looked in to buying jars at wholesale but the spring sales are cheaper.
We try to use high mositure honey ( this year with the rain we had a lot ) or honey that has sugared, 2 years ago we had honey that sugared in 2 weeks.
Unless we run out we only make jelly when it is cold outside all the heat stays inside. We make 8 double batches ( 64 jars ) at a time. We do other jobs between batches .I fill honey straws or make labels for all our products.
At the markets the more products on display the more you sell of each. We sell honey in 2oz to 5lb, comb honey, chunk honey, creamed honey, honey jelly, honey straws, pollen and some wax.
 
#7 ·
Hello all, I've watched this post from the get-go, and quite honestly I cant sit quiet anymore. People blast others in this world for cutting their honey with corn syrup, yet its O.K. to thin it with water and pectin? Not trying to be confrontational , but it just doesn't make sense to me, does it taste different than honey? don't get me wrong I'm all for making a buck...Please enlighten me.....nicely :)
 
#10 ·
It's all about honesty in food labeling.
If you sell 'Pure honey' but cut it with corn syrup that's deception and it's illegal.
If you are selling honey JELLY then it is labeled as jelly. Any jelly is usually made from a base ingredient (fruit, herbs, or in this case honey), a sweetener if desired, water and/or vinegar, and pectin. All the ingredients are plainly listed.
Honey jelly is not being sold as honey. Honey candy would fall under the same rules.
I just made great some rosemary-garlic jelly last week, but I wouldn't sell it as 'garlic'. :cool:
 
#8 ·
Wolftrainer,
Thanks for the info. I've found it interesting...the various things that folks make into jelly(i.e. hot peppers!) and I think my customers will enjoy honey jelly, once they give it a try.
In years past, I've had some really interesting and dark flavorful honeys that I think would have made for very good jellies. Of course, though, I tend to prefer the darker honey's while most of my customers seem to prefer the light honeys.
Barry
 
#11 ·
Wolftrainer,
Thanks for the info. I've found it interesting...the various things that folks make into jelly(i.e. hot peppers!) and I think my customers will enjoy honey jelly, once they give it a try.
You're right about that.
I just made some of my favorite jelly- garlic/rosemary jelly. I love it with roast chicken and roast pork and pork or lamb chops. :thumbsup:

you know how people like honey mustard on their ham and such?- maybe you should try some honey mustard jelly made with a little vinegar instead of water. :) Or... honey/red pepper jelly!
 
#9 ·
Update...made my first batch on Sunday. It was totally liquid when I went bed, so there was some concern. Got up this morning and it was all set up nice. It looks great! I can't bring myself to open up something right after canning it, so I'l wait a week or so, then pop one open for a taste test. I'm optimistic that it will be a good enjoyable product.
 
#12 ·
Oh Omie! You really have me thinking!!!! That really does sound good. I appreciate the suggestions! I'm sure such things could mean increased sales. (or at the very least...something enjoyable to use myself!)
On a related note...This honey jelly I made was the first time I've used liquid pectin. Does anyone have any insight on the using the powdered as a substitute? I do not know if they are interchangeable...or if they are fairly recipe specific.
Thanks
 
#14 ·
Liquid and dry pectin are not interchangeable in a recipe!

Liquid pectin has been heated when it is manufactured, so you do not need to bring it to a boil when you are making your jam or jelly recipe. Dry pectin must be boiled as part of the recipe so this type of pectin will jell up.

The order in which the pectin is added to the recipe and the type of heating required will depend on the pectin you are using. Interchanging one for the other is likely to mean your jam or jelly won't jell.

In the honey jelly recipe, the point is to minimize the heating of the honey, so it seems to me that liquid pectin makes more sense for this recipe.

--DeeAnna
 
#16 · (Edited)
You should be able to find liquid pectin in pretty much the same places where you find dry pectin. It is a normal grocery store item, especially around canning time (late summer, early fall). Might not be on the shelves in the Midwest right now due to near zero demand.

See http://www.amazon.com/Sure-Jell-Certo-Fruit-Pectin-6-Ounce/dp/B001E560U4
Be sure to use fresh pectin -- if the product is past its expiration date, don't bother with it.

--DeeAnna
 
#19 ·
Perhaps the powdered pectin could be used, if the procedures were altered and the honey/water mixture heated to the required temperature for the required time? Not sure if it would damage the honey, or alter the flavor significantly, though. I'd be willing to do some experimenting sometime. If it fails, I could still pour the product over ice cream or something.
 
#22 ·
For those who can't fathom why one would make/sell/eat honey jelly: I have a friend who doesn't "do messy" as she puts it. She won't eat anything runny or sticky, so honey on her toast isn't an option for her. Honey jelly is a way to enjoy eating honey with less chance of a mess. Also honey jelly is something different than regular or creamed honey -- and that difference can be fun. --DeeAnna
 
#25 ·
Omie,
I used Wolftrainers recipe from post#4 on this thread. Couldn't bee easier! 1 cup water, 3 cups honey, and pouch of liquid pectin. I brought the honey and water up to a boil...added the pectin...took it off the heat after 1 minute...into jars...then hot water processed for 5 minutes.
My previous canning experiences make me want to try it without the hot water bath at the end. Mine was set up by the next morning. I like easy recipes that are good.
 
#26 ·
wow that's such a simple recipe! And no sugar at all. Cool!

I recommend you do not skip the 5 min processing though- it will kill any bacteria that sneak their way onto the lids when you are handling, filling, and closing the jars. That way, once the jars are processed and do their own vacuum seal thing, they can be much more safely stored on a shelf with no refrigeration.

thanks!
 
#27 ·
I agree that the boiling water bath is a good idea that shouldn't be skipped. With the water and pectin added to the honey, the jelly probably does not have a high enough sugar content to prevent growth of organisms, including botulism.

I concede the "no hot water bath" approach will probably work at least 99% of the time. The small chance of causing a life threatening illness is a risk that I want to minimize, however, so I'll stick with the hot water bath.

A very good (and inexpensive) reference for canning is the "Ball Blue Book". It is updated frequently, so the latest edition will contain the most recent information on safe canning techniques. The blue book is often sold where canning supplies are sold -- walmart, kmart, hardware stores, sometimes grocery stores. See also http://www.freshpreservingstore.com/detail/TCL+14400214001

--DeeAnna
 
#28 · (Edited)
Thanks for the feedback! I have several Ball Blue Books and enjoy collecting the older canning guides, too, when I come across them.
5 minutes in the canner is certainly no hardship. :) And a very good idea for the honey jelly to be sold.
Omie...let us know if you whip up a batch of jelly. I'd like to hear how it turns out.
Anyone have a thoughts about the price one might get for say a 4oz jar o' honey jelly?
 
#29 ·
Omie...let us know if you whip up a batch of jelly. I'd like to hear how it turns out.
Anyone have a thoughts about the price one might get for say a 4oz jar o' honey jelly?

Guessing maybe $3.50-3.99 for a 4oz jar?
When my favorite brand of rosemary-garlic jelly hit $8 for an 8 oz jar, I started making my own!
Not going to be making any honey jelly til I get some honey, hopefully this my 2nd BK year!
 
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