Time to Make Authentic Florida Beautyberry Jelly

The team at Authentic Florida loves to be outdoors and pick Florida’s native Beautyberries.

They are distinctive with the bright purple berries and make a divine homemade jelly with a rich, flavorful taste.

The Florida Beautyberry

Florida’s native Beautyberries (Callicarpa Americana) grow on shrubs in clusters – along roadsides, in pineland and hammock forests, or in parks.

Beautyberries are distinctive with the bright purple berries growing on long woody stems, with green leaves.

The first question most people ask is, “Are beautyberries edible?” The answer is that beautyberries are not very tasty when picked directly from the bush but are delicious when made into jelly or as a sauce over ice cream.

Some say the jelly tastes like elderberry jelly. We think it has a distinct “grape-like” taste with a unique flavor – all to its own.

If beautyberries are not growing in your yard, this recipe will require a hike or walk outdoors as the berries are not usually sold commercially. However, they can be purchased in a potted container.

This recipe is ideal for those who like to forage outdoors.

Call your local agricultural extension office to help you identify outdoor areas with beautyberries. They should be able to direct you to public locations that allow you to pick your own.

Also, most Florida plant nurseries have shrubs for sale, so you can replant them in your own yard. Even if you don’t make the jelly, the bush is a lovely addition to your Florida landscape.

Plus, it will attract wildlife, especially mockingbirds.

Collecting Beautyberries

Grab a bucket and collect the berries by slowly combing them off the branches, letting them fall into the containers.

You may want to take garden clippers to cut the branches. This allows you to take them home to remove the berries from the stems.

We recommend taking 12-15 branches to get 1 & ½ quarts of berries.

Beautyberries are not toxic. They were once used by Native Americans for medicinal use (to treat fever, dysentery, malaria, and rheumatism), while the plant was used as a mosquito repellant.

While this recipe was tested and consumed by our team, it is still made from wild berries. You should make this recipe at your own risk.

Also, please follow the steps for safe canning procedures, sanitizing containers, and refrigerating the jelly afterward.

The first time we made this jelly it did not “jell,” so we canned Beautyberry Sauce to pour over ice cream.

If you cannot get your jelly to “jell” take heart, the sauce, syrup, or glaze is out of this world and worth the effort.

In addition to ice cream, you can use it over meatballs, donuts, cake filling, or as a mocktail/cocktail.

We almost prefer the beautyberry sauce. So whether you get sauce or jelly, you’ll be glad you made it. The flavor is glorious and totally unique.

Step-by-Step Method to Make BeautyBerry Jelly

• Wash the beautyberries in a colander to remove unwanted twigs and leaves.
• Place the 1 & ½ quarts of beautyberries into a 6-quart pan.
• Cover the berries with 2 – 4 cups of water.
• Place a lid over the pan and bring to a boil, cooking for 20 minutes.
• Set aside to let it cool down for handling, about 10-15 minutes.

• While the berries are boiling, measure 3 – 24” pieces of cheesecloth (or use a muslin cloth, or tea towel), layering one on top of another.
• Alternatively, if you want to use a large hand strainer to mash the berries to remove the sauce, that works too.

• Take a large bowl and place the cheesecloth in the bowl.

• Next, ladle or pour the boiled berries and juice into the cheesecloth
• NOTE: The berries turn a brownish color when cooked and mashed. However, after adding sugar and pectin, they become pinkish/purple.

• Pull the ends of the cheesecloth together to form a ball, knotting the top, while squeezing the juice into the bowl.

• Squeeze the remaining juice out of the ball. Take no more than 2 cups of the remaining juice and place it back into a clean pan.

Next Steps

• Add Sure Jell Premium Fruit Pectin (1.7 oz), and bring to a boil.
• Next, add 4-6 cups of sugar (depending on how sweet you want it to be)
• Add 3 Tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice.
• Stir to make sure the sugar and pectin are dissolved.

• Continue to cook at a steady boil for another 10-12 minutes or until the juice begins to thicken, coating the back of a spoon (or reaching 214 degrees with a candy thermometer).

• Remove from heat, and skim foam from the beautyberry juice with a spoon.
• Using a ladle, pour the beautyberry juice into the sterilized mason jars (we found it does best with 4 oz mason jars), securing the lids on tightly.
• We found that the jelly thickened more after canning and sitting overnight.
• Place it in your refrigerator for two weeks.

Remember, you can also serve it as a sauce over ice cream.

Looking for more Authentic Florida food?

• Florida Key Lime Pie Recipe
• Blueberry Galette: A One-Crust Pie, Perfect for Florida Berry Season
• Just Peachy! A Recipe for Grilled Florida Peaches with Amaretti
• Homemade Florida Fresh Strawberry Ice Cream Recipe
• A Simple Banana Cream Pie Recipe
• How to Make Sea Grape Jelly

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