Wild Rose Petal Jam - Recipes

The Wild Rose or the Dog Roses blooms are simply underrated. They line our roadsides and when they all bloom together light up our roads with deep pink to almost white flowers. I know what you are thinking, he is getting a little to in touch with his feminine side on this one, but let me stop you. As a hungry cook certain ingredients excite me and this was one. I dare any cook to put his or her nose into a bowl of Wild Rose petals and not be excited about the possibilities of cooking with this ingredient. Although one litre sounds like a lot of petals it isn’t. I got 4 jars worth out of this mix.

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Wild Rose Petal Jam

Ingredients

1litre of Wild Rose Petals (Fill the jug and press them down)

500g Jam Sugar (with added Pectin)

Juice of a Lemon

500ml Water

Put the sugar, lemon juice and water into a pan and heat until the sugar is dissolved. Add the rose petals and heat gently, stirring frequently for about 25 minutes. Now bring to a rolling boil until the jam reaches setting point. That’s 104.5 degrees Celsius on a jam thermometer. Now although that sounds simple, some of you won’t have a jam thermometer so let me tell you about a couple of tricks. When your slow cooking is done heat the Jam up to a rolling boil – the definition of a rolling boil is that the bubbles are intensely bubbling and you can’t stir (or break them) back into the jam they are permanent on the top of the Jam, until this point is reached you haven’t got Rose Petal Jam. The next test is when you think you have jam place a small amount onto a cold plate and allow to cool for a few seconds. When you are sure you won’t burn yourself run your finger across the plate and through the Jam. The Jam should separate and crease as your finger runs through it, if this is achieved you are ready to place it in your jars! Ensure you have sterilised, warm jars to pot the jam into. Place a wax top on the jam, seal the jars and that’s it done.

Listen, the first time I did this I hadn’t ran those now engrained Jammy tests and the mix had not set the next day. All you have to do if this happens is pour the Jam back into a saucepan (making sure you removed that little wax skin first) and reheat to that rolling boil point and repeat the two checks.

Technique aside this is an amazing Jam, the perfumed sweet flavours, the soft pink petals set in the rose pink jelly are simply amazing. A serious gift or a selfish indulgence, my mind is drifting to a time in winter – January to be exact, when the last memories of summer foods have gone and the greenest spring vegetables are still far away. Opening one of those pink pearlescent jars and creating an indulgent rich Rose Petal Jam Roly Poly, you with me?? I am going to do it, so get out there and make the jam! I am looking forward to January already!

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Love preserving your Wild Foods? Check out the preserves section of our shop click here