- 4 cups fresh rose petals (homegrown organic, please!)
- 1 cup well or bottled water
- 4 cups rhubarb chunks about ½-inch square
- 4 cups sliced strawberries, about 2 quarts
- 6 cups sugar
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Place fruit and sugar in a heavy medium pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to heat and simmer for 30 minutes, until fruit is softened. Use a potato masher to further smash up the fruit and thicken the jam. Stir frequently and skim off any foam from the surface.
- Simmer until the temperature reaches 220F on a candy thermometer. With no pectin, it’s almost impossible to reach 220 degrees. Usually 218 degrees will be the limit. The length of cooking time will depend upon the type of fruit used. To test for doneness, spoon a little jam onto a plate. Place in the freezer for 2 minutes. Run your finger through the jam (licks allowed) and see if your finger leaves a trail.
- Remove the pan from the heat, pour into sterilized jars, seal, and cool on a baking rack.
Remember the peonies from the last post? I tucked the bouquets in vases and gave them another close-up. Don’t we all deserve at least 2 close-ups???
Tegan is home from Abu Dhabi for a long visit. Let’s see what she thinks of this June delight.
How do the roses know to bloom just when the rhubarb and strawberries are ripe?
That’s enough questions for now. Besides, Tegan and I have some wedding dress shopping to do. Yes!
On a sad note: The passing of Anthony Bourdain and Kate Spade has deeply affected many of us. It’s especially poignant for me on a very personal level, having just spent a year battling severe depression and anxiety. I finally sought help from my doctor. Life gets hard at times. My dad passed away a couple of months ago at 100 years old! Hospice was great the last few days. I shouldn’t have waited, just like with seeing my doctor. So, life is leveling out again. I miss my students, though.
Sheila
