Pink Peony Jelly
The wonderful floral scent of the very short lived Peony is captured in a gloriously delicious and beautiful pink peony jelly to enjoy year round!
Just look at that color. Right?
I mean, how many jellies can you think of that come in this incredible shade of pink?
The bright pink peony flower is gorgeous, it’s so fragrant and one of my favorites.
But the sad thing about a peony, is how incredibly short their life is in my yard and garden. A week or a little more.
A lot of years ago I was walking through a Farmer’s Market and saw Peony Jelly on the table for sale.
I thought, no way that is made from the flowers… but… what if it was? I had never even considered peonies for jelly before.
So that was the first year I made Peony jelly.
That was 1998 in Arizona.
Now it’s 2019 in Missouri and I still make it almost every single spring/summer when I can.
I knew it was what I wanted to share during Farmer’s Market week!
What does pink peony jelly taste like?
It’s very hard to describe.
Pink peony jelly has a floral undertone with a hint of strawberry and peaches … kind of.
I have shared my jars with many friends and neighbors and I haven’t found anyone who didn’t like it.
It’s incredible spread on a piece of toast or a bagel in the morning with a cup of tea.
Why isn’t my peony jelly pink?
SIDE NOTE: The color of your jelly is going to be different depending on the color of the peony flower you use.
But if you want a deeper, richer pink than what you are getting from a pink peony, gel food coloring should work.
If you have a very bright and vibrant flower, you should NOT need them.
How To Make Peony Jelly
- Gather your peony petals. Remove all greens, leaves and debris. Rinse in a colander to remove any additional dirt and debris.
- Boil 5 cups of water. Place the peony petals in a tall jar or pitcher with a lid, and pour the hot boiling water over them. Allow this to sit for 12 hours (overnight is best).
- Using a sieve, strain the flowers/petals from the infused water. I promise the color you wind up with is gross and looks nothing like the final result – also doesn’t smell as good. DO NOT ADD ANY COLOR. Just trust the process.
- Heat the peony infusion water in a large pot on the stove until boiling. Add the powdered pectin and the lemon juice. Boil rapidly for 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in the granulated sugar and continue heating on medium high stirring constantly.
- When the mixture hits 220 degrees you’re done, but I always go about a minute longer, but not more than that.
- Ladle the liquid into the jars leaving about a 1/2″ of head space at the top. Wipe the tops of the jar, this ensures no liquid interferes with the seal. Seal the jar with the lids.
- Place in a cool, dry place for 12 hours to continue cooling. You may hear them pop when they seal.
How long does Peony Jelly last?
- This Pink Peony Jelly keeps for 2 months in the fridge, also freezes beautifully and canning is always a good option.
What can I use Peony Jelly on?
- toast
- waffles, pancakes or french toast
- ice cream
- biscuits and rolls
- inside jelly donuts or other pastries
- as a filling in a cake or cupcake
- anywhere you would use jelly!
Farmer’s Market Recipes:
- Cheddar & Thyme Yellow Squash Biscuits
- Fresh Cherry Crisp
- Watermelon Jelly
- Garlic Broccoli Slaw
- Mixed Berry Cobbler
- Slow Cooker Pork Bahn Mi Bowls with Pickled Vegetables
- Dandelion Jelly
- Summer Vegetable Pasta Bake
- Tequila Salsa
- Corn Cob Jelly
- Watermelon and Tomato Gazpacho
Other unique Jelly recipes
Dandelion Jelly
Honeysuckle Jelly
Watermelon Jelly
Recipe for Pink Peony Jelly
Pink Peony Jelly
Ingredients
- 5 cups pink peony flower petals remove any petals with brown spots
- 5 cups of boiling hot water
- ¼ cup of fresh lemon juice
- 6 tablespoons powdered pectin
- 3 cups of granulated sugar
Instructions
- Gather your peony petals. Remove all greens, leaves and debris. Rinse in a colander to remove any additional dirt and debris.
- Boil 5 cups of water.
- Place the peony petals in a tall jar or pitcher with a lid, and pour the hot boiling water over them. Allow this to sit for 12 hours (overnight).
- Using a sieve, strain the flowers/petals from the infused water. I promise the color you wind up with is gross and looks nothing like the final result – also doesn't smell as good. DO NOT ADD ANY COLOR. Just trust the process.
- Heat the peony infusion water in a large pot on the stove until boiling. Add the powdered pectin and the lemon juice. Boil rapidly for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
- Stir in the granulated sugar and continue heating on medium high stirring constantly.
- When the mixture hits 220 degrees you're done, but I always go about a minute longer, but not more than that.
- Ladle the liquid into the jars leaving about a 1/2" of head space at the top.
- Seal the jar with the lids.
- Place in a cool, dry place for 12 hours to continue cooling. You may hear them pop when they seal.
- This Pink Peony Jelly keeps for 2 months in the fridge, also freezes beautifully and canning is always a good option.
I have several peonies in my yard. I never knew the petals were edible! I’ll have to try this next spring when these are in season here!
I never knew you could eat peonies! I love the color of this delightful jelly!
I cannot tell you how in love with this I am. I cannot wait for the peonies to bloom next year!
Mmmm! I can’t wait to give this a try. Beautiful color and it sounds very tasty!
Does it really matter the colour of the peony’s? I have a few with different variations of pink/red.
No ma’am, it does not. I just called it Pink Peony jelly because that is what I had. 🙂 Enjoy your peony jelly no matter WHAT color it turns out! <3
I only had light pink flowers and the color is a bit disappointing but the flavor is good.its kind of a bland yellow
Yes the colors of the flowers will effect the color of the jelly. It has to do with the pigment level in the petals. If you decide to make it again and want a better color, a couple of drops of gel food coloring can help you with that if your flowers aren’t truly pink. The flavor is worth it though. 😉 Enjoy!
This jelly sounds so interesting! I’ve never had peony jelly. My mom loves the flowers though. I have got to put this on the must try list.