And we shall eat flowers!

This morning I was off and running early!  Well, perhaps not running so much as ambling as it was far too hot even at 6 AM.  Still, I was determined to get something accomplished since I have been far to lazy after my bout of illness.  Time was wasting and chores sure were not going to do themselves!  First on the agenda, pick the figs.  There are far too many birds that want to snack on my fruit for me to let that task slide.  Out I went, bucket in hand!  The fig trees are just outside of the rose garden so I was able to let Sunny, the pup, enjoy the morning as well.  She still has a tendency to escape and be on the lam for hours if I let her so I must keep her confined to the rose garden.  Ms. Ez, on the other hand, is content to sit by my side or follow me around the yard as I do the daily chores.  Before picking the figs, I moved the potted Hibiscus plants from Sunny's reach.  They were blooming beautifully and I refuse to let the dog eat any more of my flowers!  While moving the last one, I was pondering all of the healthful aspects of the Hibiscus.  A few days ago, I wrote about two different Hibiscus teas and how these blooms can increase a body's well-being.  Then a curious thought hit me...Hibiscus Jelly! A few years ago, my daughter, Elizabeth and I spent the summer stirring up the most unusual jellies!  We would wander around the garden picking any edible flowers to experiment with as jelly.  Most were delicious!  So..this thought led to the next item on my agenda for the day..whip up a batch of Hibiscus Jelly!

I did not have enough fresh Hibiscus blooms to create an entire batch of jelly so I turned to my cache of dried blossoms.  The first step was to soak the dried blooms in hot water for a good hour or so.  This was done to leach any flavor and color from the dehydrated flowers.  After that, I strained the blossoms from the juice and began the jelly-making process.  From two cups of dried flowers I managed to get ten cups of reconstituted juice!  About this time, Michael's friend, Chris, came knocking at the door.  I calmly explained what I was doing to a very bewildered young man.  He shook his head and asked Michael, "Why?"  Michael just merely smiled and said, "Because its Mom!"  That explanation seemed to be enough of an answer and both young men offered to help!  Nice!  Anyway, when it came time for a taste-test of the juice, both were willing.  The first test (pre-jelly) was plain juice....Ugh!..the reply was to be expected!  I added sugar and they agreed that it was somewhat better but still left an aftertaste that was not desirable.  Pondering the situation, I surveyed the spice shelf.  Something definitely could be found there to waylay the aftertaste! To my dismay, I found naught.  Then a thought!  Lemon juice!  I added a sprinkling to the sweetened juice and both agreed that was the magic touch!  So..Hibiscus Flower juice, Lemon juice, sugar and fruit pectin were the ingredients of the day!  After the entire process was finished, I must say that I am pleased with the results.  The Hibiscus Flower Jelly sits on the shelf awaiting some early morning biscuits!  I did add two cups of water to the mix when I was diluting the powdered fruit pectin.  In all, I got eight pints of jelly from the two cups of blossoms so I think it was well worth the effort!  And the taste?  Delightful!  We decided that this taste somewhat like a blend of cranberry and grape!  It is quite a lovely dark burgundy in color which if nothing else, adds a bit of beauty to the shelf!  Hibiscus Jelly...you should try some!