Recipe: Rose Petal Jam

Rose Petal Jam
rec.food.cooking/Kathleen Gruver/1995

Claudia Roden has a recipe for this in A Book of Middle Eastern Food. She describes it as "an exquisitely delicate jam which I have not been able to prepare successfully with the roses from my own garden. The petals remained tough under the tooth, whereas they should offer only a slight resistance. I have, however, recently been told that certain varieties of rose exist such as the "wild eglantine" which would be suitable for jam making. I am therefore giving the recipe for those who are fortunate enough to have a rose which will make a good jam."

1 lb. fresh rose petals, preferably red.
Juice of 2 or more lemons
2 cups sugar
2-3 Tbsp rosewater (optional)

Pick fresh, mature, red petals. Make sure they have not been sprayed with insecticide. Cut off their white ends. Wash and drain them. Leave them whole if you like, or mince them finely with some of the lemon juice. Simmer the petals in 2 1/2 cups water until tender. It may take only a few minutes or much longer, depending on the variety of rose used. Add the sugar and lemon juice, and cook until the syrup thickens - usually about 10 minutes. Add a little rose water if the petals do not have a strong perfume of their own.

I haven't tried this recipe, as I make more conventional jams and jellies (peach, plum and raspberry this year). However, this recipe looks as if it would work. I have autumn damask roses (damascena bifera) and they would probably also work in this recipe. The following is another recipe, this one from Phyllis Shaudys' Herbal Treasures.

Kathleen's Rose-Petal Jam
(I am not the Kathleen of the recipe title)

1 quart fragrant rose petals, tightly packed (pesticide free)
3 cups water
1 package Sure-Jell
2 Tbsp lemon juice
Red food coloring (optional)
4 cups sugar

Heat petals and water to boiling. Steep for 20 minutes, pushing petals into liquid occasionally. Strain, and reserve petals. Measure liquid, and add water to make 3 cups. Mix liquid with Sure-Jell, lemon juice, and food coloring (if desired). In large stainless-steel pot, bring the mixture to a boil. Add sugar, bring to a hard rolling boil and boil for exactly 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in rose petals. Stir for a few minutes so petals do not float. Pour into warm sterile jars & seal. Process in water bath canner for 10 minutes.