HOLLY ROSE

I’ve lived in Melbourne for 5 years this week. I know this because it’s Spring Carnival! For those of you from outside Melbourne, this week-long event of horse racing, gambling and wearing creative head dresses certainly takes some getting used to. Today, for example, is a public holiday in spirit the iconic Melbourne Cup Horse Race! It’s certainly a unique attraction and one of the many reasons that led me to call Melbourne home.

Unfortunately, this time around, I had to give up the cocktail dress, 5-inch heels, fascinator and opportunity to bump shoulders with Sarah Jessica Parker for a hand at making Rose Petal Jelly. I’m saving my pennies for home renovations because we’re moving into a new house in a couple of weeks. This was Plan B.

This morning, I thought I’d take a long walk along the streets I had come to know for the last few years and collect rose petals for a batch of this beautifully scented rose jelly…A kind of nostalgic wander of sorts.

Rose Petal Jelly

Adapted from WikiHow

Ingredients

• 1 Litre pink or red or white rose petals (I used primarily pink and white), loosely filled
• 1 Kilo sugar
• 1 Litre water
• Juice of 2 lemons (I kept the pips/seeds in to help thicken the jam. Don’t forget to take them out at the end though)

Method

1. Pick rose petals of your liking. You want to pick those that are opened, but not too opened that they’re brown. Rose petals free of chemicals are ideal, of course. Clean them at home ensuring they are free of any insects. Discard any brown petals and remove the white bit off the bottom of every petal.

2. The recipe I followed advised to soak rose petals in water for 3 days. I didn’t.

3. Place the petals in a large bowl and sprinkle with sugar. Bruise the petals with your fingers and cover with glad wrap. The recipe I used advised to leave the petals in your fridge overnight. Again, I didn’t wait that long and settled for two hours of resting time.

4. Place a clean small plate in your freezer. You’ll understand why when you reach step 5.

5. Pour remaining sugar, water and lemon juice into a saucepan. Dissolve sugar over low heat.

6. Pour the rose petals into the mixture once the sugar has dissolved and let simmer 20 minutes, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil and continue to boil for 5-10 minutes until the mixture thickens. If you have a jelly thermometer (which I didn’t) cook and stir until the jam reaches 221°F or 105°C. I waited until a teaspoon of the jelly held its shape when poured onto a cold plate.

7. If you’ve left the pips in the mixture remove them with a spoon.

8. Pour mixture into warm sterilised jars. Store in your pantry until you’re ready to enjoy. Refrigerate after opening. Follow these steps to sterilise your jars and lids.