How To Make Nettle Jelly

Homemade Jam Recipes

Ingredients: Nettle Jelly Recipe

12 oz / 350 grams of nettle tops (between 300 grams and 400 grams approximately, according to taste)
2 lb / 1,000 grams of white sugar
17 fl oz / 500 ml of tap water
1 tablespoon of fresh ginger (grated or finely chopped)
1 lemon
1 or 2 sachets of commercial pectin (follow the instructions on the packet, as these can vary according to brand)

Method - What To Do

Who ever would have thought that there could be a culinary use for the infamous stinging nettle, and yet its subtle flavours mean that it lends itself to a number of uses in the kitchen, such as soup, wine and this very refreshing jelly.

Of note, when picking your stinging nettles, it is best to do this in the spring and only use the fresh tops, otherwise you may be left with a noticeable 'earthy' taste, which would spoil the otherwise delicate flavours of this light jelly. When finished, you can use your nettle jelly as an interesting accompaniment for both sweet and savoury dishes, including roast lamb and roast pork, soft goat's cheese and even mature Cheddar cheese.

Wash all of the nettle tops / stems in cold water (wearing rubber gloves so that you don't suffer their stinging effects). Place these sprigs of foliage into a deep pan and pour on the water and sugar, as well as the juice and zest of one lemon, and the fresh ginger. Stir all of this together and place on a medium heat. Keep stirring until you are satisfied that the sugar has dissolved and allow the mixture to boil briefly, before reducing to a strong simmer for ten minutes.

Remove the saucepan from the cooker hob and leave to cool, so that the nettle leaves continue to infuse their flavours into the liquid. Leave the pan to completely cool overnight (or for at least 12 hours) and then strain this liquid through a sieve or muslin, so that you are left with a pure liquid with no nettle fragments or other tiny bits of debris.

Return this stewed nettle liquid to the pan and bring it to a strong boil once again. Briefly take the saucepan off the heat and stir in the required amount of commercial pectin powder, and then simmer for a few minutes, until it starts to thicken and is ready to become jelly. Pour this clear syrup straight into sterile jam jars, ready to set and savour the following day.

Nettle Jelly Recipe - More Jelly Recipes.