It’s the season of the roses now here and my garden looks beautiful with all the rose bushes in bloom. I am particularly fond of my organic Damask rose, because I use it for making this very special Balkan Rose Petal Jam. It’s a wonderful jam with delicate floral tones that works great as a topping on ice cream and desserts.

HISTORY AND VARIETIES OF ROSA DAMASCENA.

For thousands of years, the Damask rose has been cultivated in the Middle East, the Balkans and Egypt for its intense perfume. Most varieties of Rosa damascena produce soft pink or white roses. They flower prolifically in spring and some varieties repeat flowering in autumn. The petals of the Damask rose are used in salads and sweet dishes or for making rose water, rose oil and an attar of roses.

Research of CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology in Palampur, India on Rosa Damascena describes 5 varieties of the rose: Indica, Jwala, Super jwala, Himroz and Hot himroz. It may be interesting for some to learn that the variety of the Rosa damascena with the highest concentration of essential oil the Super jwala contains 51% essential oil. Isn’t that amazing?!

The name of the Damascena rose comes from the city of Damascus in Syria, where the rose originated. The French crusader Robert de Brie, who took part in the Siege of Damascus in 1148 introduced the rose to Europe. 

If you have read my post My Delicate Rose Petal Syrup, you may remember that one of the best climates for cultivating Rosa damascena is in the famous Valley of Roses near Kazanlak in Bulgaria. The rose is used for the production of rose oil in the perfume industry. It is so highly valued, that the price of concentrated rose oil is even higher than gold!

HEALTH BENEFITS OF THE ROSE.

Rose petals contain polyphenols, these antioxidants work to protect your body from cell damage. The polyphenols in rose tea have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and cognitive diseases.

In the thermal process of making rose petal jam and syrup, the rose petals release these antioxidants. Even though the syrup and the jam are made with a considerable amount of sugar, we use very little in desserts or cooking. Just a few drops can carry wonderful floral flavours.

HOW TO MAKE THE BEST ROSE PETAL JAM?

📋 INGREDIENTS IN MY ROSE PETAL JAM

The traditional recipe for this jam contains only 4 ingredients – pink rose petals, sugar, water and citric acid.

You can make this jam with petals from any organic rose bush or a fragrant wild rose, as long as the rose has pink petals that carry a strong scent.

Culinary-grade dry rose petals can also be used with this recipe. However, be aware that they lose some of the fragrance in the process of drying and storing. You can purchase food-grade rose petals in most health shops or on the internet.

I like to use fresh rose petals, picked early in the morning for a strong scent and freshness.

In my jams, I use crystal sugar (Coarse-grain white granulated sugar) because it ensures a good clear jam. The coarse grains dissolve slower and evenly, but caster sugar is fine to use in jam-making, too.

WHAT PRESERVATIVE TO USE IN this ROSE PETAL JAM?

Citric acid is the most commonly used preservative in jams.

As a natural product, citric acid exists in citrus fruits.

In 1784, the Swedish-German pharmaceutical chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele first obtained citric acid naturally by crystallising it from lemon juice.

However, as a large amount of lemons is needed to produce a small portion of citric acid, it was not viable for use in the food and pharmaceutical industries. In the early 1990s, Pfizer started producing citric acid synthetically from the penicillium mould in sugars. Nowadays, this production technique is widely used. Many supermarket foods, medicines, supplements, and even cleaning agents contain synthetical citric acid.

Some people who are allergic to penicillin may be allergic to the synthetic version of citric acid and it’s worth keeping that in mind.

If you are not keen on using powdered citric acid and you are making a small quantity of jam to consume within a couple of months, you can skip the citric acid completely or replace it with a teaspoon of lemon juice. The sugar will preserve the jam, but it is best to keep it in the fridge.

I like to use a tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon or orange juice when making jam. Citrus juice not only contains natural citric acid but also adds subtle citric tones to the jam.

📖 STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1: Prepare the rose petals for the jam

If you are using fresh rose petals, it is important to pick the petals early in the morning when they are super fresh. Fresh petals are full of juice and aroma. Place the rose petals in a large bowl and pour enough cold water into the bowl to submerge them. Leave the petals to soak in the water for 15-20 minutes to allow the dried dirt on them to get softer and easier to wash off.

Cut the yellow parts of the petals and rinse them well under running cold water. If the rose petals are too pale and you want your jam to have a darker pink colour, you can add a couple of drops of red food colouring to improve the colour.

Step 2: Make the sugar syrup

Heat water in a large shallow heavy-based pot on your hob on medium heat and add the crystal sugar. Stir continuously until the sugar dissolves in the water.

Step 3: Make the jam

Drain the water from the bowl with the rose petals and pat them lightly with kitchen paper to remove excess water, then add them to the pot with the sugar syrup. Cook until the jam reaches the right consistency.

You can check if the jam is ready by placing a drop of jam on a porcelain plate. If the drop is no longer runny and keeps its shape, the jam has reached its right consistency.

Step 4: Sterilise the jars before packing the rose jam

Start by washing the jars in warm soapy water, then rinse them well with warm water.

Pressure canners or multifunction cookers are great to use for sterilising jars and canning, or you can sterilise the jars in a water bath.

How to sterilise jars in a water bath?

To sterilise the jars in a water bath, pour boiling water from your kitchen kettle into a deep stockpot. With your tongs, place carefully the clean and warm jars in the pot of boiled water with their openings facing down. This will make it easier to take the jars out of the canning pot later. Add more boiling water to the pot, if needed. You must have at least 1 inch of water on top of the jars.

Bring the water in the pot to the boil. Cover the pot with a lid and set a timer for 10 minutes from the moment the water riches a full boil. If the water is boiling too vigorously, reduce the heat until it comes down to a more gentle but still full boil. Place the lids into the boiling water to sterilise them as well. After 10 minutes turn the heat off and let the water cool a bit before taking the jars out with your tongs.

Place all jars and lids on a clean tea towel and cover them with another clean towel to prevent dust or dirt from landing on them.

Step 3: Pack the jam in the sterilised jars

Make sure the jars are completely dry before packing the jam inside. It is a good idea to put the jars in a warm oven to keep them warm and dry until you are ready to pack them.

Pour the jam into the sterilised jars with a pouring spoon or a jam funnel and leave 1-inch headspace.

If you plan to consume the jam quickly, you do not have to hermetically seal (process) the jars.

Place the warm jars of jam upside down on a tray lined with a tea towel. Leave the jam to cool overnight. When the jam is completely cold, keep it in a cool place and consume it within a couple of months.

🍲 HOW TO Serve ROSE PETAL JAM

Impress your dinner guests with beautiful desserts topped up with Rose Petal Jam. You can serve the jam with ice cream.

You can also serve the jam in continental breakfast or on pancakes, waffles or with breakfast flatbreads.