In a wind-protected corner of my garden grows a very special flower: the Damascene rose “Rose de Resht”. Every year I prepare something different from its petals with their strong rose fragrances, for example Sharbat-e Gol – rose lemonade or rose butter. This year I prepared Morabayeh Gol – Persian rose flower jam مربای گل سرخ from the petals of my Rose de Resht. Those who try rose jam for the first time are usually both excited and irritated at the same time, because for most it is a new eating experience.

For me, the rose petal jam is an essential part of an expansive Persian breakfast. It requires to butter a piece of Arabic or Lavash bread, then adding some rose jam on it and top it with Sar Sheer. Since the jam is a bit syrupy, it should be eaten teaspoon by teaspoon. To do this, put some of the spread on the bread, take a bite and repeat. Sar Sheer is just as clotted cream and in turkey known as kaymak. Do you feel also like bringing your fragrant roses from the garden to the breakfast table.

THE BEST TIPS FOR THE PERFECT ROSE JAM

The rose blossoms should be fresh and untreated. It is best to use rose blossoms from your own garden or buy them from an organic farmer.

Taste the rose blossoms first, if they taste a bit bitter, remove the white of the blossoms and your jam will be sweet. If you cut off the white part of the flowers, don’t throw them away. You can make a delicious damnoosh from them and also from the green stems. This is the general term for an infusion of herbs or blossoms, a pleasure when consumed hot.

In Persia we love to prepare jams in a copper pot*, as the color of the flowers or fruits are preserved and the taste is much better.

The more gently you treat the rose blossoms, the more intense the flavor of your rose jam will be. Therefore, don’t use too much heat and don’t cook for too long!

To get all the flavors out of the roses, knead the fresh rose petals with sugar and then store them in a container with a lid in the refrigerator for 48 hours. This way, most of the flavors of the rose petals go into the sugar.

You can also use citric acid* instead of lemon juice, it provides a shinier color and also removes the bitter taste.

You can also prepare the recipe with dried rose petals*, then you should use only the half, i.e. 60 g.

HOW TO USE ROSE PETAL JAM

It’s a blessing to have scented roses in your garden, as they bring variety to your cooking. Scented roses in your own garden are not only a enchanting sight, in addition, you will be surprised at how many ways you can use them and how delicious they taste. Rose petal jam is not only a delicious spread, but also works well as a topping on ice cream. Or simply enjoy 1 tablespoon of rose petal jam in plain yogurt, as a healthier alternative to sweet and ready-made fruit yogurt. In Persia, we enjoy it with fereni – a persian rice cream or in a sweet rice pudding. I also love to use it as a pie filling between fluffy sponge cake or in a sponge cake roll.

I rather prefer savory dishes and like to eat my rose petal jam with cheese, cold roast meat or wild meat. Filled in small beautiful jars, they are also a wonderful gift out of the kitchen for friends or relatives. The preparation is also totally simple. The many small flowers of the rose are also a great eye-catcher and flavoring in salads. Not only their beauty, but also their bewitching fragrance is perfect as a decoration on the table.

AZERBAIJAN IN IRAN

The most famous rose petals of Persia come from the city of Qamsar near Kashan, they are called Gol-e Mohammadi. They are used for rose water preparation due to their strong fragrance, but they sometimes have a slightly bitter taste. The rose water from this small place is the purest and best in the world. It is even used for the annual washing of the Kaaba in Mecca. However, the best rose petals for rose petal jam originate from Iranian Azerbaijan in northwestern Persia, for example, from Tabriz or Orumiyeh. This is where Persian, Arabic, Armenian, Kurdish and Turkish influences meet. In Azerbaijan, chopped walnuts are added to the rose jam at the end. If you want to know more about the Rose de Resht, here I wrote about it.

INGREDIENTS ROSE PETAL JAM

Makes 2 jars (a 250ml)* or 4 small jars (a 125 ml)*

125 g fresh rose petals

800 g sugar

400 ml water

1 tablespoon lemon juice or 1/4 teaspoon citric acid*.

3 tbsp. rose water* (optional)

PREPARATION ROSE PETAL JAM

Pick rose petals best on a sunny morning, remove the green parts. Test the fresh rose petals, if they taste slightly bitter, cut off the white parts. My rose petals do not need to be cut off, as they do not taste bitter at all. Mix with 100 g of sugar and knead well, put in a container with a lid and place in the refrigerator for 48 hours.

Bring water to a boil, turn down the temperature and add half of the rose petals and simmer for 10 minutes. Using a skimmer, remove the rose petals and set aside on a plate. Add the remaining sugar (700g) and simmer for 6 – 8 minutes until it is syrupy. Now add all the rose petals and lemon juice or citric acid. Pour a little of the jam onto a small plate and see if the consistency is good. The jam should be syrupy and not too thick or too runny. Test if the flavor is good, otherwise you can add up to a maximum of 3 tablespoons of rose water. Fill into sterilized jars and close the lid tightly.

Save the recipe for later on Pinterest!

Have you cooked this or maybe another delicious recipe of mine? Feel free to leave me a comment below. If you tag your picture on Instagram with @labsalliebe  and use the hashtag #labsalliebe, I won’t miss a post and will be happy to leave you a comment as well. Can’t wait to see your creations.

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