Rose Petal Honey Recipes

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, combine rose petals, water and lemon juice; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until petals lose their color. Strain, reserving liquid and discarding petals. Return liquid to the saucepan., Stir in sugar. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in pectin. Continue to boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Pour into a jar and cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate up to 3 weeks.

Steps:

• Wash clover and rose petals throughly in cool running water; drain well. Pat dry. Place in a large metal bowl; set aside. , In a large heavy saucepan, bring sugar and water to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil without stirring until a candy thermometer reads 220°; remove from the heat. Pour over clover and rose petals; let stand for 45 minutes. , Pour through a double thickness of cheesecloth; discard clover and rose petals. Pour honey into jars; store in the refrigerator.

Steps:

• 1) Cut the rose petal into strips with clean scissors, discarding the white base, which is tough (and bitter). Cynthe's TIP: This an easy, but time consuming task. I stacked 5-8 petals together and then trimmed off the white base before cutting them into strips. Listening to nice music, doing a mantra, or having a friend to help and chat with keeps one patient. Rose petals, trimmed & cut before making rose petal jam 2) Put the petals in a pan with water; cook for 10 minutes, then lift out and drain. reserving the liquid. Rose petal 'ribbons' in the jam pot Rose petals lose their color in boiling water The water turned a lovely hue 3) Add the sugar and honey and cook over medium high heat until syrupy (about 20-30 minutes). Skim off & discard any foam that forms with a spoon, which will cloud the finished jam if you leave it in. 4) Return the rose petals to the syrup and continue to cook gently for about 10-20 minutes more. COMMENT: At this stage, the rose petals lose their unattractive bleached fleshy appearance, becoming beautifully transparent infused with color. 5) Add the rose essential oil and lemon juice. Simmer until set, another 10-15 minutes. (The sugar syrup will set once its reached a temperature of 220-222F. Test for set by tipping a spoonful of syrup to see if it coats the surface and runs off in a 'sheet' or in a couple of blobs. If still a single stream, it's not ready...continue to cook and test again in 5 minutes.) COMMENT: Depending on the color of roses used, you may wish to add food coloring to make it pink. Red roses yield a deep pinkish-red color. CYNTHE's TIP: Sterilize your clean, washed & well dried jars, by placing them on a cookie sheet in a 200F oven for 10-15 minutes. In the meantime, place the lids and sealing rims in a ceramic or metal mixing bowl. Boil a teakettle of water and pour the boiling water over the lids/rims until covered. Let them sit in the hot water until you're ready to use them. 6) Ladle into hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Wipe the rims clean with a dampened paper towel or clean cloth, put the lids in place and tighten down. Invert the jars for a few minutes, turn upright and let cool completely. Newly designed labels on jars of Honey Rose Petal Jam with 'Eva' roses, the main ingredient. Check the vacuum seals, date, label and store in a cool, dry, dark cabinet. (If I hadn't made the jam as a competition entry requiring 8oz jars, I would have used small 4oz jars to give away as special gourmet food gifts.)