The flavors of rose petal jelly are intoxicating and exotic; beautifully light and sweet, with the heady fragrance of a bouquet of fresh-cut roses. Perfect for a romantic morning breakfast or brunch.
You’ve never known true culinary perfection until you have tasted rose petal jelly. Smeared over a yeasty piece of buttered bread or coupled with Devonshire cream, rose petal jelly is enough to make me swoon! A treasured recipe, passed to me from my mother; I’ve come to refer to as, the sweet taste of summer, captured in a jar!
I can remember watching my mother gather roses from the garden, intent on repurposing the delicate petals into the most delightful, edible treat. Something magical happened when the roses filled our house with their scent; an unspeakable calm came over me and my mind filled with fanciful daydreams of fairies. I love how smells evoke emotions long subdued by time, and wired so deeply into my brain, just one whiff and I’m back in my mother’s kitchen; a food memory that will last a lifetime.
Rose petal jelly, jam and syrup have been used in the culinary arts for decades, and although the recipes come from around the globe, they stay very similar.
- Venice, Italy, Monks from the San Lazzaro degli Armeni Monastery, bottle 5000 jars of rose petal jam each year to be sold in the Monastery store
- Persian cooks have crafted rose petal jam since the early 1600’s using the elegant Damascus rose
- Ukrainian cooks, preserve rose petal jam by smashing or processing the petals with sugar and lemon juice creating a paste that is traditionally used to fill donuts
- Served at High Tea, I’ve found English recipes dating back as early as the 1700’s.
When making rose petal jelly, it’s best to pick organic roses, and the most flavorful jelly comes from the most fragrant blooms. Choose roses that are at their height of bloom, and if possible, gather at night when the scent is most powerful; keep fresh in the refrigerator overnight, tucked away in a plastic zip bag.
I hope you enjoy making this rose petal jelly recipe!
Serve on toasted homemade bread, scones, or an English muffin.
- 4 cups pink or red edible roses
- 3 cups sugar
- 3 1/3 cups water
- 1/4 cup fresh or prepared lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Rose Water (can be found in Eastern Indian markets)
- 2 packages liquid pectin (6 ounces)
- All edible flowers must be free of pesticides. Do not eat flowers from florists, nurseries, or garden centers. In many cases they are treated with pesticides not labeled for food crops
- Clip and discard the bitter white base from petals
- Rinse in cold water to remove debris and small bugs, drain
- In a large bowl combine rose petals with 1/2 cup raw or organic sugar, using your hands, bruise petals, take care that all the petals are coated evenly, cover and refrigerate overnight
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, add remaining sugar, water and lemon juice; stirring until dissolved
- Stir in rose petals and cook at a low boil for 20 minutes or until candy thermometer reaches 110 degrees C. or 220 degrees F.
- Strain liquid through a fine sieve, pressing all the liquid from the petals (do not strain rose flesh of making jam unless the petals are discolored)
- Measure rose liquid, you should have 4 cups. Add enough water to equal 4 cups if necessary
- Return liquid to saucepan, bring back to a boil
- Cook until liquid reaches 110 degrees C. or 220 degrees F.
- Add liquid pectin, stirring constantly, boil for 2 minutes.
- Pour a small amount of jelly onto a chilled plate, if liquid holds its shape pour into sterilized jars, if it's still runny, process additional 2-3 minutes.
- Add rose water, remove from heat
- Pour jelly into prepared sterilized jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace
- Jelly can be stored in the refrigerator for up to six months
- To preserve for storage at room temperature, cover jars with lids and rims, place in a hot water bath (2 -3 inches boiling water) for 15 minutes at a hard boil
- Serve with crusty yeast bread, flat breads, clotted cream, soft goat or cow's milk cheese
“A rose by any other name would taste so sweet” quote, William Shakespeare‘s play Romeo and Juliet
Other jelly recipes to try:
I can’t wait to use this recipe, my mom always made rose jelly and she has since passed away. Here in South Africa it seems not many people know of this delicious jelly. However, I want to make my own liquid pectin from apples, how much liquid pectin is needed for this recipe? Pectin is not readily available where I live, not in powder or liquid form.
Good Day Gertha, Thank you for visiting At Home with Rebecka!
I’m so happy you found my recipe for Rose Petal Jelly. Recreating recipes our mother’s made for us as children brings so much joy. I hope you are pleased with the result.
To answer your question: My recipe calls for 2-3 ounce packages of liquid pectin. You will need 6 ounces (12 Tablespoons) homemade pectin for your recipe. Homemade pectin can be temperamental so make extra encase you need to add more to your recipe. I advise doing a “Gell Test” before processing the jars in the water bath.
Gel Test: Pour a small amount of jelly onto a chilled plate, if liquid holds its shape, pour into sterilized jars, if it’s still runny, process additional 2-3 minutes.If the liquid still doesn’t hold it’s shape, add 3 more ounces liquid pectin and boil an additional 3 minutes. Repeat the test. You should be set at this point.
If you have any further questions please don’t hesitate to ask. Please let me know how your recipe turn out! Happy cooking, Rebecka
This ended up being six cups. It didn’t gel. Looks like the picture above. From the looks of it that didn’t gel either. I thought it was my imagination but pressed on. This is rose syrup. Syrup is not jelly. That is all.
Dear eleventh.attempt, I’m sorry you had issues with my recipe. I’ve been making this exact recipe for over 40 years and have had no issue with it setting up like jelly. As for the appearance of syrup in my blog post photos, I heated the jelly slightly prior to taking the photos so it would spread easier.
Maybe these steps will help you in the future: As stated in the recipe, “Pour a small amount of jelly onto a chilled plate, if liquid holds its shape pour into sterilized jars, if it’s still runny, process additional 2-3 minutes.” If that does not work then it’s possible the jelly needs to cook longer to reach the gel point. There are several other factors that can affect gel point: Humidity and barometric pressure can change the gel point just like in baking. Longer cooking times result. High altitude is a factor and requires more cooking time to reach a boil and gel point. If all else fails, adding another packet of liquid gel and returning to a boil and following the recipe instruction from that point on will do the trick. I hope you give it another try and let me know how it turns out! Thank you for visiting At Home with Rebecka
Just the photos alone make me want to make this Jelly. Do you think that those of us who are kitchen challenged can make this? Where do I get edible roses, and can i get them this time of year?
Hi KJ, Thank you so much for visiting and commenting!
I’m positive that anyone willing to try this recipe will have success! The most difficult aspect is finding organically grown rose petals. I’ve foraged for wild roses in large fields far removed from roadways and any pesticide spraying however, it can be a daunting task to say the least. I’ve also grown my own roses utilizing natural pest control as well as, natural fertilizers. Recently, I found a neighbor who grows and abundance of English roses in her garden. She’s been willing to give me gallon zip bags of rose petals in exchange for a few jars of petal jelly. I also spent several weeks this summer teaching her college age daughter how to can rose petal jelly, kumquat and fig preserves. I’m blessed to have made such a great connection for pesticide free rose petals. Hopefully, you’ll have some luck finding a neighbor willing to share.
I’m still researching companies that sell organic petals but haven’t had much luck finding a good source.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions and keep me posted on your progress making rose petal jelly.
Hi Rebecka,
Such lovely jelly! I can almost smell the fragrance of the rose petals! I have only eaten rose jam once, years ago when I visited a rose farm in the highlands. Serving it with freshly baked buttery scones is the perfect breakfast indulgence!
Have a great week!
Thank you kf!
Hi Joy, you would love this jelly, I just know it! It’s super to see you here. Sorry I’ve been negligent in visiting kitchenflavors!!