Let me just start by saying, this is no ordinary jam. In the past, Tonia has giving me little precious jars which I savor and stretch out as long as possible, because to me, each spoonful feels like it casts a magical spell over me, filling me with love for the world around me. I kid you not, there are days that have been completely transformed, because of the miraculous effects of this jam.
Their intoxicating scent melts away all tension.
Once sorted they are ready to bring into the kitchen.
I always love being in Tonia’s kitchen – filled to the brim with all kinds of herbs, healing tonics and tinctures. Where ever she is, she seems to find the beautiful essence of what surrounds her, and creates from this place. You can’t help but the get the feeling she is deeply connected with the earth and its cycles, her creative healing energy flowing outward and freely.
She began foraging, long before it was trendy, making all sorts of tonics and elixirs.
Living on San Juan Island gives her access to the fragrant wild roses that bloom all over the island in May and June, and the making of wild rose petal jam has become a yearly ritual.
The recipe is surprisingly simple, and highlights the lovely rose flavor.
For this recipe, you’ll need to collect about two cups of rose petals, just lightly packed. Tonia describes this as pressing down on the petals just enough to make a perfectly comfortable fairy bed. If I were a fairy, I would be happy sleeping here.
Or, for more accuracy, weigh out two ounces of fresh petals.
You can also use dry petals ( see recipe) but fresh are preferable.
In a medium pot, bring the petals and water to a simmer.
Add sugar.
And fresh squeezed lemon juice.
Mix a little pectin with sugar and add to the simmering petals, to thicken.
Simmer 20 more minutes.
Spread on buttered and toasted homemade bread – it makes for a delicious breakfast or afternoon snack.
Or spoon it right out of the jar, like Fin.
Sprinkle with rose petals and add fresh berries if you like.
And enjoy the effects.
Rose Petal Jam Recipe
Tonia Schemmel’s Wild Rose Petal Jam, made from wild roses on San Juan Island
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 40 mins
- Yield: 3 jars
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups filtered water
- 2 oz (approx. 2 cups lightly packed or to what would be a perfectly comfy fairy bed) wild rose petals (preferably collected 50 feet from roads and in a pesticide free area)
- 2 cups organic cane sugar
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Pomonas fruit pectin**
Instructions
- Place water and roses in a sauce pan. Bring to a gentle simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add 1 ¾ c of sugar into the simmering petals . Stir to dissolve the sugar crystals.
- Add freshly squeezed lemon juice. Pay attention to the gorgeous vibrant color that emerges.
- Simmer 10 minutes. Mix the remaining ¼ c sugar and pectin in a bowl.
- While stirring the jam add the pectin mixture sprinkle by sprinkle to insure pectin incorporates without clumping.
- Continue to simmer for 20 minutes. It may seem quite loose for jam, it will firm up as it sets but does remain more of a silky syrup with luscious bits of petals.
- Keeps for 2 months in the fridge, also freezes beautifully and canning is always a brilliant option.
- Notes: you can use dried petals…. 1/3 c dried = 1 c fresh (readily available in natural food stores, in the bulk herb section)
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Wow. This is GORGEOUS. I can’t wait to try it. My parents have a beautiful pink rose bush that’s very fragrant… I’m thinking those would make a nice jam? Do you know by any chance if there are some rose bushes that are ok to eat, and others that aren’t? Or are they all ok as long as they haven’t been treated with pesticides?
Yes, ok to use, as long as no pesticides. 🙂
Any roses are fine as long as no pesticides, fragrant ones are those that will flavor the jelly, and the more red in the petals, the darker the jelly.
All roses are ok to eat
This whole post made me smile. Everything is beautiful from Tonia, her kitchen, the roses to Fin. You have captured a “putting food by” moment that so many people no longer do. Instead of stopping to smell ( and gather ) the roses we rush to the nearest store to grab a jar of jam.
Thanks Penny!!
Your photos are so lovely!! And that jam is beautiful 🙂
This is absolutely gorgeooous! We have beautiful little wild roses all over here where I live in Alaska. They just tickle my heart! 🙂
Dear… I love , love , love your blog 😉
I posted a little bit about the health benefits of roses and a friend mentioned he l o v e d rose jam. I was intrigued and ‘googled’ it. I found YOU!!!! I am over-the-top excited that I did! Your work(?) is beautiful. Thanks for sharing and bringing all this goodness to light! I’m off to pick my rose petals and order more Weck jars!!! Aren’t they lovely as gifts???
I’m familiar with Pomona pectin & the calcium water that goes with it. However, this recipe did not mention using the calcium water. Was it left out on purpose? Or am I to assume that I do use it in this recipe? And thanks for the beautiful photos!
So ….I’m not familiar with calcium water !!:) I know we did not use it in this recipe.
Just in case anyone else is confused and wants to make this, I thought I’d throw my two cents in… Pomona’s pectin won’t actually gel at all without using the calcium water. It’s a low-sugar pectin, which means it doesn’t need a ton of sugar to gel, but it is activated by the calcium instead. So if you don’t use the calcium water, you could also get away with just not adding any pectin at all… you’d get the same results…. not that that’s bad!!! You’ll just get this loose, syrupy jam like in the photo- which is beautiful and lovely! But if you really do want it to set like a jelly, you could use regular pectin- this recipe has enough sugar that it should be ok. 🙂 Anywho, I just made this with regular pectin, and it’s lovely. Thanks for the great recipe!
Thanks for the clarification Christina!
Sigh. This recipe made my heart sing! Currently licking the pan. I’m so happy to have found another way to consume the aroma of this flower, thank you <3
Thank you so much for the recipe! I just made this jam and it tastes divine! I used very light pink garden roses and a bit of bright pink ones, my jam’s color is kind of light brown/pink shade. I used liquid pectin (the one we can get in a regular supermaket here in Sweden), no idea if the jam will thicken (it didn’t while boiling). but it doesn’t really matter now as it tastes so good:)
Thanks for sharing!! It should set up and get thicker. All the best to you!!
This looks heavenly! Such a refreshing treat to transport you into a blissful place!! Thanks so much for sharing your treasures,your pictures are so sweet! Love the little guy eating his jam !!!
am I allowed to copy paste the recipe text and print it out?
Yes, of course…and there should be a print button…I will double check. 😉
I am in Tropical North Queensland,Australia,and Have just discovered this amazingly inspiring page with your recipe which is certainly Fit For Fairies who live at the bottom of my beautiful garden! I have gorgeous roses all year round,even the old fashioned English ones which I still cannot believe do so well here,even with our heat and humidity in Summer !! I do not use any sprays at all on my plants so if the caterpillars want a feast they are very welcome.Let’s face it:no caterpillars means no wondrous butterflies!!!And,as well as ME loving these magical creatures, Fairies need the butterflies to help with their Chariots!!
But Seriously…… I am so thrilled to have found your recipe for Rose Petal Jam,because I hate to let anything go to waste,especially my fragrant rose petals!I have so many dried ones of all colours,simply because I cannot bear to discard them when the flowers are spent! Now I can try something with them apart from my pot pourri which is in beautiful containers throughout the house! I’d never considered using the prettily coloured dried petals for Jam!I can hardly wait to see what the lemon juice might do do the different petal hues!
My Thanks,and many warm smiles, Julie Drew
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Ok, this is the best comment I’ve received yet! Thanks for making me smile Julie!! You warmed my heart. Love the picture you have created in my mind, and someday I would love to see your fairy filled rose garden.xoxo
Aaaah,Sylvia!! My job is done! I make a point of making others smiles every day,as smiles are free to give and priceless to receive!
I unfortunately had to stop working 8 years back,due to a very painful illness,so the fairies have definitely kept me happy and sane,whether in my garden or in my extensive collection of old and antique illustrated books.I feel blessed every day that I have so much beauty surrounding me,and having taught myself the basics of computer stuff,my entire world has opened up and I am meeting like-minded folk all over the world,as well as discovering magical things like your Rose Petal Jam recipe!I’d love to send you some photos of my roses one day if this is possible…..
Thank yopu ever so much for your response to my email.In turn you have made ME smile as well!!!
Fondest wishes once again, Julie in Oz
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Ahhh, you paint such a beautiful picture with your words. Have you ever thought of writing? I would love to read a story capturing your world. Your antique books make it all the more intriguing. All the best to you Julie!! And Yes, photos are welcome! sylvia@feastingathome.com
Thank you dear Sylvia……I am always being asked if I am a writer!!! I do love the written word immensely and have always done the very best I can to ‘paint’ pictures with my comments! Again I thank you so much for your lovely and very kind message.I recently began writing guest posts for a friend’s Blog,and have received so many requests by her readers to start a Blog of my own,so this is something which I do hope to do later this year! I also used to write articles about my various work-places when I was younger,for several magazines,so I suppose the written word is something which has always been here inside me waiting to be released to the masses!
I am truly,extremely HUMBLED by the gorgeous and very positive things which have been said to me about my writing,even if it has only been a simple email I have written!!
I hope that as you read this little note of thanks,you can imagine the lusciously sweet fragrance of the tropical frangipani blooms on all the trees which abound in my street! The air,particularly in the late afternoon and early evening,is redolent of such pure yet simple pleasure!Added to the evening songs of the various tropical birds,this fragrance is like magic to me,so it is little wonder that I can find myself believing in fairies flitting all about the coolness of my fern-and-flower-filled garden!
As ever,I send you my heartfelt smiles as I bid you a fond farewell until the next shared installment! May you find a smile stretching from your mouth to your eyes, Julie in Oz!
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This is such a wonderful post! Thank you so much. The pictures help create a wonderful story to go along with the making of the jam.
Could you use honey instead of sugar? Is it a simple swap or would you still need to use some sugar for the pectin? Thank you!!
The best thing ever! I would never think that I can make a jam from roses…I´ll be doing this every summer since now ,,thank you for sharing with us <3
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I know, pretty amazing right?!
This is so Beautiful! the delicacy of the flavor and the aromatics make it truly wonderful!
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I’m getting ready to make this now. I live in the mountains in NW Montana USA and there are a ton of wild roses on our property. I will post a picture when I’m done. I’m soo excited lol
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That is exciting! Nice to have roses this late in the summer…enjoy this Cathy!
I am getting ready to make this and can it for gifts at a bridal shower but i am wondering how much this recipe makes. What size were the three jars that were filled? This recipe is dreamy and just perfect for a bridal shower to honor the blushing bride.
I think it makes about 1 ½ – 2 cups…but honestly it’s been so long I can’t remember! If you do make this will you swing back and let me know what it came to? I would greatly appreciate it!
My house smells wonderful! I made a double batch of the above recipe and ended up with (11) 4 oz. jars. I let it simmer for longer than the instructions suggested in the last step and believe that I could have gotten (12) 4 oz jars had I processed them in the suggested timeframe. I will make another batch (or two) in the next few days to get enough gifts for all the guests and to have some on hand throughout the holidays.
Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe!
One more note, I fed my husband one of the rose petals from the completed jam before telling him what kind of jam it was. He usually avoids my odd food adventures, but this time he studied the flavor in his mouth. He said it reminded him of a tea that he had only a faint recollection of. Once I told him it was made with rose petals, I expected him to tell me he didn’t like it but he said he was intrigued and asked if we were giving it all away. I think this will be a regular jam recipe for special occasions, gifts and maybe even everyday go to jam.
I love it!My husband is the same and it’s always nice when I can surprise him… I know the feeling . 🙂
Thanks Caralyn- Im so glad it worked out! Would love to see if you are on instagram!
Can’t wait totry this recipe! Question though what can I use instead of pectin? Can’t fnd any 🙁
Pectin helps cutdown on the amount of sugar you will need. You can always add more sugar.
Hi. Been wanting to make rose petal jam for ages so I made this today. 2 loose cups of petals produced 1 x 350g jar of jam. A tad on the sweet side for me so I’ll use a little less sugar next time. Absolutely delicious though and definitely will be making more. Wonder what the orange petals would look like? Can’t wait to experiment with all my roses. Thank you xxx
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Love it…thanks!
This is my second year making your Wild Rose Petal Jam! My daughter is absolutely over the moon in love with your recipe. She is 41, so that is telling in itself. I added a bit more filtered water (1/4 C) since I cut the sugar content in half. I was struggling to make 2 jars. This has worked perfectly for me. Also, I love Pomona’s pectin and I definitely use the Calcium water in your recipe. I look forward to June and harvesting the rose petals each day. Thank you so much, Sylvia:) You are the BEST.
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Hi Trish- I’m so glad you have been enjoying this! Yay!!! Thanks for the sharing your adaptations and your comment, always appreciated!!! Have a beautiful summer. xo
Hi! I just found your recipe of Rose Petal Jam… I intend to try it in my busy schedule… It looks so beautiful and I want to try the taste of it. 🙂 It should be wonderful! The only thing. where do i find Calcium Water? I never heard of it. In Canada, we use Bernardin pectin. We never had to add anything to it; so I should be okay, I guess. Thank you for your beautiful pictures. I love them all! <3 <3 <3
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Because the rose petals are not acidic, you can leave it out for the recipe.
I’m using Ball’s RealFruit Classic Pectin instead. Should this still work?
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I think it should be fine!
Do you have a recipe version for this Rose Petal jam, using a sugar substitute? like stevia? or some other? thanks.
No, sadly I dont. Sugar is needed to get it to the right consistency.
Experiment with Sweeteners and Pectin
My first batch I used raw cane sugar and Pomona pectin. The jam turned out more of an amber rose color and was rather syrupy. The petals almost dissolved. It was delicious but over the top sweet for our tastes. The second batch consisted of one part Stevia, one part honey, and one part white sugar. (I found an inexpensive low sugar pectin at (Walmart. The Pomona pectin was $19.00 here!) The second batch had the same color as that online and was a similar consistency. Conclusion- you cannot go wrong with this recipe – the results may vary with consistency but the flavour and the delicate rose flavour will bring a smile to your face and a warm glow in your tummy!
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Thanks Diane, So helpful!!!
Hello is the T with the lemon for tablespoons or teaspoons please?
Yes, capital T is tablespoon. I will update! thanks…
This recipe seems to be excellent I’m sure I’ll try it next May when the roses trees bloom in my garden, thank you sooo much for sharing your recipe.
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We have heaps of roses, don’t use chemical sprays, so I’m going to try this recipe.
Thank you for a great website
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That is great Peter….you will love it. Would also make really sweet gifts.
Hi Sylvia.
I so love the way you’ve invited us right into Tonia’s kitchen. I’ve been wanting to make rose jam for the longest time and I think I’m going to start with your recipe. It looks magically pretty. Thank you for sharing it with us.
You are so welcome. It is magical… as well as my friend Tonia, so much fun to do this with her!
i love this recipe. rose petal jam is beautiful and delightfully delicious it’s fragrance fills the house while cooking it and has a lovely taste thanku for this recipe.