Recipe for Rose Jam

Caprice de Meilland

Yes! Trust the French to be thinking of food even when planting roses!
When you plant roses in your garden, make sure that you choose the right roses with which to make excellent jam. The recommended roses are "Rose a parfum de l'Haye", "Caprice de Meilland", "Baron Girod de l'Ain" -- as these roses keep their aroma and thus flavour in the cooking process.

Recipe for rose jam:

500 gr rose petals
750gr sugar
four lemons with pips

Leave the petals to soak in water for three days.
Make jam as per usual

As a reader pointed out, not everyone has a method, so here is my method for jam making:

Jam making:
1. Leave the petals to soak in water for three days.
2. Usually one uses the same amount in weight of 'fruit' and sugar - (and the weight measurements should be exact, as that can be the reason for success or failure!), but for this recipe we use 500gr with 750gr sugar.
3. Put the rose petals and sugar into a heavy casserole.
3. Slice the lemons in four or five thick slices and add to the pot. It is important to leave the pips in for the pectin content.
4. Cover and bring to a simmer over a medium heat until the sugar is melted.
5. Transfer into a large dish (use either glass, ceramic or earthenware) and cover the surface with a sheet of wax or parchment paper.
6. Let it cool at room temperature and then put it in the fridge and leave overnight.
7. The next day, cool a saucer in the freezer for about 30 minutes.
8. Carefully wash your glass jars as well as their lids and then soak them in boiling water for at least 10 minutes. Set them out to dry upside down on a clean kitchen towel.
9. Return the rose petal/sugar/lemon mixture to a casserole and once again, bring to simmer. Let it simmer for five minutes, stirring very gently with a clean wooden spoon. You can remove the foam which forms on top as it make for clearer jam. (A wonderful suggestion is to use this foam to sweeten plain yoghurt and serve it with scones!)
10. Take the saucer out of the freezer and pour a drop of jam on it. Tilt the saucer: if the drop stays put, the jam is ready. If it is still liquid, simmer for another minute or two.

(I always remember my childhood days --- when my mother made jam, this was my favourite moment. A hush descended over the entire household as the saucer was removed from the freezer, the wooden spoon was dipped into the simmering mixture and then hung suspended over the saucer until one perfect gem dropped onto the white saucer, glistening there like a precious jewel. And then the bated breath as the saucer was tilted : -- the moment of truth --- would the jewel remain intact and beautiful, reflecting our own shining expectant faces, or would it slide down, leaving a sugary trail of colour behind it.........Ah! Such were the moments of drama in my mother's kitchen!)

11. When it is ready, remove what is left of the lemon slices and the lemon pips and spoon the jam carefully into the prepared jars almost to the top. -- I always put a piece of wax paper, cut to size, over the surface before putting the lids on. Wipe the edges carefully if there was any spillage and close the lids very tightly. Let the jars cool upside-down at room temperature, and then store in a cool and dark place.



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