WOW Wild Rose Jam

Get your shoes on, grab a bag and hit the hedges - the wild roses are in full bloom and my but they taste fine!  A great way to pass half an hour with a toddler too, I may add, who loves the permission to pick flowers for once.  I know it's a bit early to be thinking about Christmas, but I am making this jam in batches and hiding the jars from myself so that I can give them as gifts in the depths of winter as the runny jam is pure summer in a jar.  I can't wait to open it when summer seems a far too distant memory in the dark and wet Scottish winter.

Making the jam couldn't be simpler - I used this recipe here, as posted in an earlier post.  The smell of the petals is almost overwhelming, a little reminiscent of a sweet granny in fact!  I spent a very happy 20 minutes sitting in the sun checking my huge bag of petals for bugs and separating them. 

 I've kept the white petals I collected to make rose water (see photo below) as I want a clear liquid so it's safe to spray around the house.  Then I used only the beautiful pink petals for the jam.  I didn't cut off the white bits at the base as this would be too much hassle and it hasn't made a bit of difference I can assure you.

I couldn't resist keeping some petals to dry in the sun and store in a jar to preserve the scent

So get out there and fill a bag whilst the sun is shining and the flowers are adorning pathways and roadsides.  Be careful to dodge the bees that are also having similar thoughts and enthusiasm!

Today we shall be collecting elderflower and (oh my favourite flower ever!) meadowsweet blossom and rushing them home to make cordial before they wilt.