Hot Toast & Rose Petal Jelly

 

 

 “When the girl returned, some hours later, she carried a tray,
with a cup of fragrant tea steaming on it;
and a plate piled up with very hot buttered toast,
cut thick, very brown on both sides, with the butter running through the holes in great golden drops, like honey from the honeycomb.
The smell of that buttered toast simply talked to Toad,
and with no uncertain voice; talked of warm kitchens,
of breakfasts on bright frosty mornings,
of cosy parlour firesides on winter evenings, when one’s ramble was over and slippered feet were propped on the fender,
of the purring of contented cats, and the twitter of sleepy canaries.”
Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows

 

 

 

 

 

It’s December, however, all our pretty, glittering snow has melted – we are left with fading green grass, showcasing it’s glory of summer days gone past, empty branched trees, lonely for a snowy covering and early, creeping darkness  that always make us want to cuddle up into bed just a few hours earlier… to combat the loss of winter’s beauty and delightful snow, we’re lighting a lot of candles, twinkle lights are glowing and hot fires are keeping us toasty warm.

While the outside world goes a bit crazy and stressful right now, this is a season of quiet for us —  and it is absolutely lovely. All summer, we work so hard outside, in the gardens, with the animals, on the grounds, but now it is a time of rest and refreshment. I am quite delighted to enjoy a cozy, quiet winter for a few months. I will be ready for spring when it arrives but in the meantime, I will fully enjoy the months of wintertime that are upon us.

 

Sometimes we feel like little Brambly hedge mice, or the little animal friends in Wind in the Willows … in our snug and busy nests and homes, fixing this up and doing that, finding ways to cook up food differently, filling the house with savory smells, crafting and spending time relaxing … reading good books by the fire and learning new music … it is a lovely season of Home.

 

For this week’s gentle Home adventure, I decided to make Rose Petal Jelly. Doesn’t that just sound lovely?

Well, it is – it tastes so light and delicate. I cannot wait to try it on buttered toast with tea. Is there anything more lovely than toast and tea on a winter morning – or afternoon, for that matter? Perhaps there will be a light sprinkling of snow outside and that will just be the icing on the day, in a way.

 

First, you will need to steep some lovely (un-sprayed) rose petals in hot water for overnight. Once it is steeped, strain out the petals and store your rosewater in a jar in the fridge or a cool location.

 

If you use pink petals, it will be a lighter colour jelly – I had red petals on hand and it created the prettiest, ruby red colour.

 

 

Once you have made your rosewater, you are ready to make your Rose Petal Jelly.

(Make sure to save any extra rosewater – I also made a rosewater toner for my daughter and I – just mix equal parts witch hazel with your rose water and store in dainty glass jar, preferably in the fridge. It will not last forever as it is a natural product).

 

 

 

~ Rose Petal Jelly ~

Four cups of rosewater
6 cups of sugar
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
Pectin

Pour your strained rosewater and sugar into a large pot. Bring to a boil – let it boil for three minutes or so. Add in your pectin while stirring constantly. [The recipe calls for two package of pectin but I only had one – I use one and while it is a bit runny, it is still lovely.] You may stop here and do a spoon test to see if the jelly is firm enough (drop a tiny drop onto a cold, metal spoon and run your finger through the jelly – it is stays separated, it is ready).
Pour into clean mason jars.
Wipe rims, lid with new seals and process in water bath for 20 minutes.

 

 

 

It will make wonderful gifts!

 

 

 

Please, do yourself a favour and bake up a few loaves of homemade bread … then, with the delicious aroma of just-baked bread wafting through your kitchen, enjoy this lovely rose petal jelly slathered with a piece of buttered toast for your afternoon tea break.

 

It will do your heart wonders on a chilly winter afternoon.

 

 

 

December 6, 2018 - 9:48 am

Our Home of Many Blessings Done!!

December 5, 2018 - 6:31 pm

Gigi Bobbie, can you email your new mailing address, please?

December 5, 2018 - 9:44 am

Our Home of Many Blessings Oh yes! A detailed bread post would be great!!Cant wait!

December 4, 2018 - 1:41 pm

Maike Thanks so much for sharing this lovely recipe. I love anything with roses: cream, soap, macarons, chocolate,…so I definitely am going to try this out though generally not a jam fan. And then rose tasting cupcakes are on my list too. Have you tried rose cupcakes yet? I wonder which icing flavor would go well with it. Have a merry christmas you all!

December 4, 2018 - 11:51 am

Christina Gigi – That sounds delightful. It looks so pretty. I cannot get my roses to grow well at all. I have to figure out some tricks and tips so I can try this jelly!

Our Home of Many Blessings – I sometimes add some vital wheat gluten to my bread to help it rise and become lighter. Just a tsp will do for a two loaf batch. I live in the south and it is humid, but I only add the gluten if the day is rainy or cold and dreary. Good luck!

December 4, 2018 - 11:21 am

Gigi I think it’s time to do a detailed post on bread. I love making bread, but that last post I did is not that best at explaining … I use six cups of flour, 4 tsps of yeast in two cups of warm water, a dash of salt … I mix my flours, home-milled, whole wheat, spelt, etc.

December 4, 2018 - 9:21 am

Our Home of Many Blessings Great thanks!My breads and such things never get very big,I wonder if I’m kneading to long or something??I will leave them in to rise even longer than required only sometimes and they still only rise a little…Does that bread recipe you shared in this post call for two and a half cups of flour and 1/4 cup of bread flour?I feel like my homemade bread is to tough or something for sandwiches.I hope I get this down soon because I would love to stop buying sandwich bread at the store!

December 3, 2018 - 10:43 am

Gigi P.S. And yes, sometimes I do not use anything, but oil the top. 🙂

December 3, 2018 - 10:41 am

Gigi Happy birthday, mom! oxoxoxoxo

December 3, 2018 - 10:41 am

Gigi Bobbie, use a bigger bowl so the bread doesn’t touch or oil the top of your bread so it will not stick. 🙂

December 3, 2018 - 10:09 am

Brenda Thanks Gillian … I can’t wait to try mine that you gave to me, (for my Birthday). What a great idea too!! xo

December 3, 2018 - 9:52 am

Our Home of Many Blessings Oh iv never even heard of that kind of jelly.Sooo pretty!By the way how do you prevent your towel or whatever your using keep from sticking to the dough as it rises?Or do you not use anything?Maybe my rising spot is to hot?I’m not sure but everything I try always makes for a sticky towel when I take it off and tears the dough and makes a yucky mess on the towel or whatever I use.

December 3, 2018 - 9:36 am

Monica I LOVE homemade jelly on fresh bread! Yum, yum! What a beautiful color this makes— lovely photographs as well. 🙂