Homemade Rose Petal Jam with Natural Apple Pectin

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This rose petal jam is made using Rosa Damascena and/or Centifolia petals with natural pectin from Granny Smith apples. A fragrant, homemade preserve of spring.

Every spring, when my rose garden bursts into bloom, I gather the fragrant petals of my Rosa Damascena and Rosa Centifolia roses to make a traditional sweet preserve.

You can find more details about these roses in my post for Rose Petal Preserve (Glyko Triantafyllo).

Collecting the Roses

This year, my rose bushes were full of blooms.

Every other day, I would gather around 40 roses.

Since I wanted to collect a good amount, what I did was, after carefully picking them — making sure not to get stung by any bees — I would remove the rose petals.

Then, I washed them well and let them drain in a colander.

After that, I placed them in zip-lock bags and stored them in the freezer until I had collected as many as I needed.

The bushes are still producing many roses, so I’ll continue harvesting them. I haven’t yet decided what my next creation will be.

Rose Peta Jam

This year, I decided to try something different and transform them into a luscious jam, naturally thickened with homemade pectin made from Granny Smith apples.

Below, I’ve included every step of the process—from collecting and freezing petals to preparing pectin and choosing between using just the juice or the entire apple pulp.

Ingredients

For the macerated rose petals:

• 190 g rose petals (from about 88 roses, previously frozen and thawed)
• 190 g granulated sugar

Additional ingredients for jam:

• 500 g granulated sugar (added during cooking)
• 400 g homemade apple soft pulp
• 4 cups juice from 3 Granny Smith apples)
• 4 tbsp lemon juice
• 2–3 tbsp water (only if needed to loosen the mixture)

Optional substitution:

• Instead of using the apple pulp, you may use only the strained pectin juice for a clearer jam with a more delicate texture.

Making the Apple Pectin (Juice and Pulp)

1. Recipe and instructions How to make homemade pectin, in my previous post.

Macerating the Rose Petals

1. Place the thawed rose petals in a large bowl.
2. Sprinkle with 190 g sugar and gently massage to coat all petals.
3. Cover and refrigerate for 4–6 hours or overnight. This draws out the color, aroma, and liquid from the petals.

Making the Jam

1. In a wide saucepan, combine the macerated petals with all the syrup, the apple pectin (juice and pulp), and 500 g more sugar.
2. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until sugar dissolves and the mixture starts to simmer.
3. Add a splash of water if the mixture is too thick early on.
4. Simmer gently for about 30 – 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Add the lemon juice in the last 10 minutes to help preserve color and assist in gelling.
6. At this stage, if you want the preserve to have a red colour, you can add a drop of food colouring.
7. To test if it’s ready, drop a spoonful on a cold plate. If it wrinkles when pushed, it’s set.
8. Pour the hot jam into sterilized jars, seal immediately, and let cool undisturbed.

Storage

• Keeps well in the refrigerator for several months.
• For longer shelf life, process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes.

Alternative Version: Using Only the Pectin Juice

If you prefer a more refined jam texture without any apple pulp, simply use only the pectin liquid extracted in the first part. Discard the pulp and continue with the same steps, adding it to the macerated rose petals and sugar during cooking. The result will be a silkier, more transparent jam, still naturally thickened but with a lighter body.

Final Notes

Using natural pectin allows the rose flavor to shine, with no artificial thickeners to dull its perfume. Freezing petals as they’re collected ensures none go to waste and preserves their aroma beautifully. This jam makes a wonderful gift or a luxurious spoon sweet over Greek yogurt, panna cotta, or simply spread on fresh bread.

When you try this recipe, you’ll be preserving not just petals, but the essence of spring itself!

Kopiaste and Kali Orexi,

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