This role petal jam preserves fleeting summer days. With the delicate hint of wild rose sweetness, it provides a sugary floral delight to sweet treats.
Serving suggestions: This aromatic jam is best enjoyed with plain, less overpowering breads and scones, as the taste will be overshadowed by strong flavours such as gingerbread or cinnamon.
Makes – 1 jar
Foraged Ingredients
- Wild rose petals – roughly a litre jug or 10 lightly packed handfuls. All variations and types of roses are edible but not all will taste good. The rule is if the rose smells good it will likely taste good too.
Other Ingredients
- 1 litre of water
- 200g of caster sugar
- 1 tsp pectin*
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Note on Pectin: Fruit pectin – a soluble fiber – is typically used as a thickener in cooking and baking. While it has medicinal applications – particularly related to digestion – Pectin is best known for turning watery concoctions into luscious jams and jellies. It functions much like gelatin, but instead of animal-origin collagen, it is extracted from citrus fruit peels. It is available at all major UK stores in sachet or bottle form, usually in the baking section.
Method
- First things first – sterilise any jars you will use to store the jam. You can do this either by boiling them in hot water in a pan or by cleaning them and putting them in the oven while still wet at 160 degrees for 10 minutes.
- Prepare the petals: carefully pluck the wild rose petals from the flowers, ensuring to discard any stems or green parts as they are not edible.
- In a large pan, combine the rose petals, water, and caster sugar. Gently simmer the mixture over low heat for approximately 10-15 minutes, letting the rose petals wilt down. Turn off the heat and leave the mixture to steep for 10-15 minutes.
- During this time, the rose petals may lose their vibrant colour. Don’t let this alarm you, as it will be restored later on in the recipe.
- Next, introduce a tablespoon of lemon juice into the pan. This addition will not only enhance the flavour, but also restores the vivid colour of the rose petals.
- Turn the heat back on. Add the pectin to help thicken the jam. Simmer gently for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, until it reaches the desired setting point (see our expert’s tip below). Remember the jam will thicken as it cools.
- Turn off the heat and allow the jam to cool slightly before transferring it into a sterilised jar. The cooling process helps the jam to set properly, ensuring a luscious texture.
- Store the jar in the refrigerator once open, like any other jam.
Expert’s Tip
Finding the “setting point” – or how to tell if your jam is ready – is often tricky for beginners. We recommend taking out a spoonful of jam from the saucepan and setting it on a cold plate for 30 seconds, then making a small indent with a clean finger or spoon. Examine the jam to see if it wrinkles up, as this means it’s ready! Using a white plate is recommended as opposed to a patterned, dark-coloured plate to help see the impression clearly.