Ingredients

3 ½ cups water

1 cup fresh, fragrant rose petals, lightly packed

2 or 3 whole cloves, optional

or 1/3 cup food-grade dried rose petals

Juice of 1 lemon

1 (1 3/4-ounce) box powdered pectin such as Sure-jel

4 cups sugar

Preparation

  1. Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan and stir in the roses, and cloves if using. Remove from the heat and let the mixture steep for 10 minutes, as if you were making rose-petal tea.
  2. Strain the “tea” into a deep preserving kettle, discarding the solids. Stir in the lemon juice and pectin and continue stirring until the pectin is dissolved.
  3. Over the highest possible heat, bring the mixture to a boil and add the sugar. When the solution returns to a hard rolling boil, time it for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. After 2 full minutes, transfer the jelly to hot, sterilized glasses and seal according to manufacturer’s suggestions.
  • © Greg Atkinson, 2012