Rhubarb, Rose, & Strawberry Jam

This rose-scented rhubarb and strawberry jam is the kind of preserve that gets made once a year when both the rhubarb stalks are pink and the old-fashioned roses in the garden are in full perfume. The petals melt into the jam and leave behind a faint floral haunt that pairs perfectly with the tart-sweet fruit base.

Rhubarb is a notoriously unreliable jam setter, which is why lemon juice is non-optional here. Cooking the lemon pips tied in muslin alongside the fruit pulls out extra pectin from the seeds, giving the jam its proper jelly set without bottled pectin.

The two-day maceration is the patience step. Sugar and lemon juice draw water out of the rhubarb and strawberries overnight, and a brief 2-minute boil followed by another rest concentrates the syrup before the final cook. Pinching out the bitter white tips from the rose petals before adding them is the difference between perfumed and bitter.

Pro Tips

• Use highly scented old roses (damask or rugosa). Modern hybrid tea roses look pretty but smell of nothing.
• Use slightly underripe strawberries. They hold their shape and have more natural pectin than fully ripe ones.
• Test for setting point with a chilled saucer: drop a teaspoon of jam, push with your finger, and look for wrinkling.
• Sterilize the jars in a 250°F (120°C) oven for 15 minutes and pot the jam while everything is still warm to prevent cracking.

Variations

• Add a few cardamom pods to the simmer for a more exotic, slightly spiced version.
• Swap rose petals for elderflowers when the season aligns for a hedgerow-summer twist.
• Stir in a splash of rosewater at the end if your petals don’t carry enough perfume on their own.