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Apple Lemon Balm Jelly - Old-Fashioned Preserve from the Herb Garden

Apple lemon balm jelly is old-fashioned preserving at its most satisfying - a herb that overruns the garden, a couple of apples, a lemon, and sugar turned into jars worth reaching for all winter. Nothing fancy. Nothing wasted.
Prep Time35 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Steeping time2 hours
Course: Jelly
Keyword: apple jelly with herbs, apple lemon balm jelly, citrus herb jelly, garden herb jelly, herbed apple jelly, homemade lemon balm preserves, how to use extra lemon balm, lemon balm canning recipe, lemon balm jelly recipe, lemon balm jelly with Pomona's pectin, lemon balm recipes, low sugar herb jelly, Pomona's pectin jelly recipe, small batch jelly recipe, steam canner jelly recipe, water bath canning jelly, What to do with extra lemon balm, what to do with lemon balm
Servings: 3 half-pint (~250 ml) jars
Cost: $2.85 - $5.12 CAD

Ingredients

  • 3 cups fresh lemon balm leaves loosely packed
  • 3 cups apple juice freshly juiced - from ~3–4 lb / 1.4–1.8 kg mixed Granny Smith and Gala apples
  • 3 cups granulated sugar divided (reduce to 2 cups if using Pomona's pectin)
  • ⅓ cup lemon juice freshly squeezed
  • 1 large lemon zest
  • 1 cup water
  • Powdered pectin per package directions (or 1 tsp per cup of liquid for standard pectin; 1 tsp + ⅓ cup sugar mid-cook for Pomona's)

Instructions

Prep the lemon balm:

  • Wash thoroughly and pat dry.
  • Strip the leaves from the stems and discard the stems.

Juice the apples:

  • Run apples through a juicer until you have 3 cups of fresh juice.
  • *Bottled apple juice will not work here.

Heat the apple juice:

  • Pour the juice into a large pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Skim any foam that rises.
  • Boil gently for 2 minutes.

Steep the lemon balm:

  • Remove the pot from heat. Add the lemon balm leaves.
  • Cover and steep for 2 hours.

Blend:

  • Transfer the steeped mixture to a blender.
  • Blend on high until fully broken down.
  • *This pulls maximum flavor from the leaves before straining.

Strain:

  • Line a fine-mesh strainer with cheesecloth over a large bowl.
  • Pour the blended mixture through.
  • *Do not press or squeeze. Let gravity work for up to 20 minutes. This is what keeps the jelly clear.

Prepare the sugar-pectin mix:

  • Whisk the powdered pectin with all of the sugar in a small bowl.
  • *This prevents clumping when pectin gets added to the pot.

Build the jelly base:

  • In a large heavy-bottomed pot, combine the strained lemon balm liquid, lemon juice, lemon zest, and 1 cup water.
  • Stir in the sugar-pectin mixture.

Cook:

  • Prepare for the set test - place a small plate in the freezer.
  • Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly.
  • Reduce to medium-high and cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Test the set and cook 5 minutes more if runny

Fill the jars:

  • Pour the hot jelly into prepared half-pint jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace.
  • Wipe rims clean.
  • Apply lids. Tighten bands fingertip-tight.

Process:

  • Process in a boiling water canner or atmospheric steam canner per the processing table in the Canning Method section below.