Jams and Jellies - Rose Petal Jam

The Candlelight Inn is a true Victorian Inn. Most of the furnishings are authentic to the period between when it was built—1877—and 1910 when the influence of Queen Victoria began to wane. We try to provide something of a Victorian experience for our guests, in their surroundings and the food.

In my cookbook collection, I have one of a set of books called “The Victorian Kitchen Book Collection” which is “a delightful series designed to evoke that bygone era when, as tradition has it, larders were bursting with jars of homemade preserves and pickles, tea tables were laden with delicious cakes and mouthwatering pastries, sideboards groaned under the weight of rich beefsteak puddings, and no dinner table was complete without a dessert of creams, iced puddings, fresh fruit, nuts and dainty bonbons.”

One of the stars of the Victorian culinary world was Isabella Beeton (1836-1865) who, with her publisher husband, Sam Beeton published the Book of Household Management in 1861. Many of the Victorian recipes originated with her, and her witticisms and advisements pepper the volume—such as “Frugality and Economy are home virtues without which no household can Prosper.” She died in childbirth at the tragically early age of 28.

My book, Jams and Jellies, opens as follows: Preserving fruit in jam or jelly began in the 18th century when glass technology and the availability of cheap, good quality sugar came together. Until the beginning of the 20th century, jam-making remained a home-based industry. The Victorians, in particular, made great use of seasonal fruits to make jams—for cakes and puddings as well as for the tea table—showing the sort of frugality and economy of which Mrs. Beeton would have approved.”

Actually, jelly and jam making is an art which can still be done at home with a minimum of equipment and a maximum of enjoyment and fulfillment as well as frugality and economy. Our present day Mrs. Beeton of sorts, Martha Stewart, has done a great piece in her Living magazine, July 2006, on this very topic. In true Martha style, she goes a little over the top with descriptions of Alsatian confitures and vintage French jelly jars, but all in all it captures the homey quality of this most domestic of all undertakings.

What you really need is very little and quite cheap. Mason jelly jars from the local stores with screw rings and flat lids, a large shallow heavy pot, a jelly bag (or cheesecloth) and a wide-mouthed funnel. Oh, and something to preserve. Of course this time of year we think of the wonderful and abundant fruits, but preserving with sugar can be done any time of year resulting in marrow squash jam, rose petal jam, genuine Scotch marmalade, orange marmalade, lemon curd, apple jelly, apple butter, wine jelly or herb jelly to name a few.

What is the difference between jams, jellies, preserves, confitures, curds, butters, or conserves? Jam is a mixture of fruit and sugar, boiled together until most of the moisture is gone. Jelly is a mixture of the juice from strained, boiled fruit, and sugar, boiled together until the mixture jells. A preserve is usually made with one kind of fruit only, bottled whole or cut in half in a soft sugar syrup. Conserves usually contain two or more fruits and are stiff but spreadable. Butters are fruit pulp cooked to a very thick consistency with sugar. Curds are thickened with egg yolks and have a lot of butter added to them. Confiture refers to the whole group—just another word for preserves.

I couldn’t resist trying the strawberry jam in the Victorian Kitchen book, especially since the home-grown strawberries are just so wonderful this year. And, my roses provided wherewithal to try an “artisanal” preserve, the rose petal jam. These should lend a Victorian touch to the inn’s breakfast table.

19 cups well-ripened strawberries
Juice of 2 lemons
13 and three-quarters cups sugar

Hull the strawberries, removing any that are too ripe and rinse the remainder. Cook in large, heavy pan with the lemon juice over low heat until juice begins to run from fruit. Take care not to break the strawberries up, as the beauty of a good strawberry jam is seeing and tasting the whole fruit. Add the sifted sugar and stir until it dissolves completely; simmer gently for 30 minutes. Remove any scum that rises to the top and stir occasionally to prevent burning. When setting point is reached, put the jam into sterilized jars and seal tightly.


Note: The setting point of jam is around 220 degrees. You can test with a thermometer or use the cold saucer method. Boil the jam for 20 minutes (unless otherwise indicated), then remove from heat. Drop a teaspoon onto a saucer that has been cooling in the refrigerator. Leave to cool for a few minutes. If it forms a skin that wrinkles when you push it with a finger, the jam is set.


Rose Petal Jam

4 cups petals taken from your favorite rosebush
2 and one-fourth cups sugar
Juice of 1 lemon
1 cup fresh water

Cut away the bottom of each petal as this part can make the jam taste bitter. Place the petals in a preserving pan and pour the water over them. Heat very gently for about 30 minutes to extract the color and fragrance and then remove the petals and put aside. Add the sugar and lemon juice to the pan and make sure all the sugar has dissolved. Boil the mixture rapidly, allowing most of the liquid to evaporate. When you are left with a very thick syrup, put the petals back in and stir through the mixture to distribute evenly. As only a small amount of this jam is used at any one time, it is better kept in small 4 oz. jars. Makes about one and one-third cups.