Rose Petal Jam

Rose Petal Jam...it sounds so romantic, so European and so quaint.

For 2 years I've held onto this recipe and finally took the time to make it!  I feel like this is an autumn recipe with the apple jelly being the base of the jam, but all of my reddest roses are blooming now!  I only have some pale roses that bloom through the fall and I really wanted this jam to be red in color. 

I used an English rose which is quite fragrant and prolific, just what the recipe called for.  I didn't spray them this Spring, for this recipe and the fact that it has been too rainy or cold to spray effectively.  In fact, I hand picked worms off of my David Austin...how repulsive is that?! (I wore gloves!)  According to the recipe, I chose fresh blooms that were fully open and nearly ready to fall.

When removing the tough white ends, I found it easiest to grip and pull off the entire blossom and use a very sharp knife to slice off the ends.  I then but the petals into a colander and shook it a bit to remove any bits of icky. 

ROSE PETAL JAM
{Gelee de Pommes et Petales de Rose; recipe from Anne Willan}

Apple Jelly
3 lbs very tart apples, I used granny smith 
1 1/2 cups sugar


Scrub apples and quarter, only removing the stems.  Put in large, heavy pot, just cover with water and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to simmer and cook an hour or so until apples are very soft and falling apart.  Let cool about 5 minutes.  Transfer to a cheesecloth lined mesh sieve or colander set over a bowl.  Let drain without pressing on fruit or jelly will be cloudy.  Leave undisturbed about an hour.

Rose Petals


6 cups rose petals, with white tips removed
3 cups water, boiling
1 cup sugar
juice of  1 lemon


Put the petal in a large bowl and cover with boiling water just to cover.  Cover and let steep until cool.

Measure out 2 cups of the apple juice and add 1 1/2 cups sugar in large pot.  Bring the juice to a boil, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves.  Boil over high heat until jelly reaches 220 degrees on a candy thermometer.  Should take about 20 minutes.  Skim any foam off as you go.  Let cool about 5 minutes then add the rose petals and their liquid aslong with 1 cup sugar and the lemon juice.  


Heat mixture to boiling over high heat and boil until reaching 220 degrees on candy thermometer.  Let cool about 5 minutes and fill sterilized jars and seal.  Can be stored in a cool, dark place for up to a year.

 Yes, this was a bit of work.  I let my apples drain and rose petals steep and cool overnight, since I did not have a full day to put this together directly.  Yes, it is fabulous and tasty, beautiful and delicate!  SO worth the time and energy!  I love it paired with Four Corners Creamery Fresh Chevre!

Another season ends...

For years, my passion, 2nd only to food, has been gardening. I think I was born with a love of soil from my farming ancestors. Crops, flowers, trees, it doesn't matter to me. When John and I purchased our house and 2 1/2 acres of property, there were only a couple trees, peonies and lots of grass. We have worked together to create a lovely property with so many memories. John gave me a Magnolia tree for our 10th wedding anniversary and I gave him a pear and cherry tree for his birthday and fathers day, the list goes on. Even our girls have given, or been given trees and flowers as gifts. It truly lasts a lifetime and are memories that resurface each season.

It is always a bit bittersweet to clip the last roses of the season. This is my David Austin Rose by the name of Abraham Darby. It is an absolute treasure of a rose, fragrant, beautiful and blooms all summer right up to frost. The blooms are quite apricot with yellow as buds and new blossoms, as the bloom ages it turns into a lovely pink. Abraham Darby is a climber and mine regularly reaches 7 feet with modest pruning. If you are in the market for a more carefree rose, you should consider a David Austin. I do spray for pests and disease, but fairly little compared to a tea rose. I also give a couple scoops of compost and bone meal, as well as a good mulching in the fall. I have planted lambs ear and clematis nearby for a wonderfully romantic garden spot.

All winter I will plot and plan new garden places, a bare spot near the shed (hollyhocks?) a new type of grape, a better system for weed control...