What goes well with wine and cheese? MORE WINE!

Lemon & Basil Wine Jelly

Yield: 8- 125 ml jars   Prep: 5 minutes   Cook: 1 hour

Ingredients

• 2 c red wine
• ½ cup basil leaves, cut into strips
• peel of 1 lemon
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• 3 ½ cups sugar
• 1 (3 oz) pkg liquid pectin
• 8- 125 ml jars, sterilized

Using a vegetable peeler, remove the coloured part of the peel from a lemon. (Avoid removing the white portion.) Cut the remaining lemon in half and squeeze for juice.

Measure out 1 cup of wine in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add basil leaves and lemon peel, remove from heat, and cover. Allow wine to steep for 45 minutes. Strain out basil leaves and lemon peel and discard.

Add remaining wine, lemon juice, and sugar to large saucepan, as well as the basil/lemon infused wine. Bring to a rolling boil, and boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Stir in liquid pectin and continue stirring. Boil for 1 minute more, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat. Skim foam off top if needed.

Add hot wine to sterilized mason jars, leaving 1/2 inch space at top.

Put lids on jars and process in water bath for 5 minutes.

This jelly pairs well with mild and sharp cheeses (brie, mozzarella, cheddar, etc.)