155. M is for Mmmmmmmm. (Or, I'm Getting Impatient With The ABC-Along)

It's rose petal jam time again! 

Last year it was June 17th.  Wow.  Things are sooo early this year.

Consistent with my pledge to myself to keep putting food by and not letting produce go by without doing something about it, over the past three days I made four batches of jam. It tastes like sunshine on a spoon.  How does one describe this flavor?  Floral and tangy and sweet -- it's a thing unto itself.  Luscious. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

The recipe I use is here. Over the years, I have found that it works best for me if I make the petal/lemon juice/sugar syrup in the blender and pour it into a mixing bowl.  I then cook the pectin and add it to the mixing bowl and gently stir it by hand.  When I've tried to do it in the blender jar, it sets up way too fast and becomes a gloppy mess.  Still tastes great, but it's impossible to pour into the jars nicely. My refrigerator-top freezer now overfloweth.  I'm going to have to start toting the jars of jam out to the freezer in the garage, because I fully intend to make more of this before all the roses are gone.

And coincidentally, on Sunday, the day I first made this, I saw in my stats that someone was Googling for "norma rose petal jelly."  The rose petal jam is apparently on someone else's mind, too.

A clarification on the freezing:  This jam is uncooked, except for the pectin, so it's got a relatively short shelf life.  If I want to keep it around to give me summer-on-a-spoon in the middle of winter, I freeze it.  I tried putting it in a boiling-water bath one time, and it really didn't do nice things to this jam.  So freezer-jam it is!

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Comments

[Kristen]

Looks absolutely luscious! Any favorite books on "putting up"? I've only been finding older ones. While I'm fine with older recipes, I'm concerned about safety standards.

[Erika]

HA! That was me, googling for "norma rose petal jelly"! I had just been out in the yard and noticed that the rugosas were flowering, and I was determined to make jelly this year. Naturally I had to dig out your recipe.

I have watched enviously from the sidelines for the last year, but THIS WILL BE MY YEAR!

[Vicki]

Oh, that looks wonderful! Things are late around here this year. Sheesh, I haven't checked officially, but record-breaking lows were predicted last night... and it feels like it this morning!

[Ann Rose]

The pink glow of your rose petal jam is hypnotic, Norma. Do you use just one particular rose, or is it a combination?

[sandy]

I just love those pictures of the jars of jam, I do not jest.
:)
Mmmmmmm, indeed!

[Manise]

My rugosa are beginning to bloom here too. I have more pink that white ones. I suspect you are solely using the pink ones, yes?

Your jam looks yummy. The round jar in the middle looks suspiciously like a lemon curd jar :-) Off to see if I have enough petals to make at least one batch.

[Carol]

I thought I was pretty up on things but - you freeze your jam?? I've got tons of jars in my basement. I put the boiling jam into hot jars right from the dishwasher. I wait for them to cool on the counter (and the tops to 'pop' with vacuum) and then store. BTW - my strawberry has held out! We're on the last jar and the season is nearly upon us.

[Carole]

I bet it's delicious! Good for you for making lots and lots of it. Enjoy!

[margene]

Damn! I want to be your neighbor!!

[Dave Daniels]

M is for MAN, as in your husband. How is he doing?
Nice jam. :) Got radishes? lol

[SUE]

Norma -

Check out the book Preserving by Oded Schwartz. It's out of print right now, but you can sometimes get it for a reasonable price at half.com. You'll want to make every recipe in the book. I've only had one or two misses (tomato tangerine marmalade was not a favorite here)

[elizabeth a airhart]

m is for margaritas
you all in maine seem to be haveing a lovely green spring time
i enjoy my self here yes i read the comments very interesting

[marianne]

MMMMMMMMMmmmmmmm, yes indeedy. Your rose petal jam has me so intrigued, your description of its taste and mercy, what a beautiful colour. Sadly I have NO sunny area for roses.. when you write about this jam I'm pretty damned close to going out and finding some yard with these roses! A little scavenging... :^)

[Cathy-Cate]

And tomorrow will be N, I suppose, since everything is so early for you!

Given that Vicki and I are denizens of the same state (which has had one of the coolest springs on record, I was just told), everything is REALLY late; my lilies of the valley bloomed two weeks later than usual, so did the lilacs, and my peonies are shut up tight, have been in bud for weeks, but are waiting for a little warmth, I think. We had one warm day, then storms and back to cool.

I've had rose petal jam once; it was so delicate and unbelievable on the tongue. I only have a miniature rose that didn't survive this past harsh winter very well. But, I'm thinking out loud, there are tons of wild roses blooming in the woods on the bluffs a little later on; maybe I could try that and make my own, it would be fun (and uber-organic!)

[Marcia Cooke]

M is for Mosaic.....

[Cookie]

Mojitos, thankyouverymuch.

Fab jam, The Norma. As soon as my rose bushes bloom again, I'm going to give this a go. Mine won't give the same amazing color that you get, but I'll live.

XO

[jessica~]

Beautiful looking jam!! How come you are freezing it and not just canning it? I need to get this stuff straight for when I get my butt in gear and make some 'norma rose petal jelly'.

[nipper jenn]

Damn, Cousin! I was hoping to come help you with this! It came early this year.

[kmkat]

My mom used to make strawberry freezer jam that was summer-on-a-spoon, too. Yum.

[evalyn]

Thanks so much for sharing your rose petal jam receipe. I can't wait to try it. "Putting Up" books: Kerr and Ball both put out fine canning/perserving books, usually available at any place you buy canning supplies.

[Seanna Lea]

It looks so good. I love rose petal jam on top of homemade vanilla ice cream. I wonder if they will have it at the farmer's market.

[Beth S.]

This is my favorite time of year in Now Norma-land. Pin oak watch is a close second, though. ;-)

[Michelle]

I was just thinking of you and your jam this afternoon! I was inspecting my Rugosa's today and one bush has lots of buds on it! Not open yet though. I hope to gather enough petals this year to make at least one batch. Last year the Japanese Beatles ruined all the petals. But (knock on wood) I haven't seen any lurking around yet. There's HOPE!