Easy Rose Petal Jam Recipe
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This easy rose petal jam, made with fresh rose petals, is perfect on toast, scones, cakes, ice cream, or smoothies — inspired by the Gulkand (rose petal preserve) from my childhood in India.
More jam recipes anyone? Easy rose petal jam recipe is a simple, delicious recipe made with fresh rose petals — perfect on toast, scones, cakes, ice cream, or even smoothies.
My experience with rose petal jams goes back to my childhood in India. There used to be a small shop on a busy road that specialized in all things rose — always crowded, offering tastes of their preparations. Their specialty was called Gulkand in Hindi, roughly translated as roses in sugar syrup, with a texture like a jelly.
I’d heard from friends that Gulkand tasted good, so I had to try it. On its own it was a little too sweet for my taste, though still delicious — my tastes have changed a fair bit since then.
Table of Contents
Growing and Harvesting the Roses
Two rose bushes are grown just for this — they smell wonderful and get plenty of care. By the beginning of May they’re blooming, and by the end of the month the bushes are full. Since roses don’t last long on the bush, the petals are cut just before they’d fall off anyway. Rose petals are edible, so rather than let them go to waste, they’re put to good use — first in rose water, and then in a jam similar to Gulkand.
Tools you may need
- Heavy bottom saucepan and a wooden ladle
- Sterilized glass jars
- A funnel for pouring into the jars
How to Make Easy Rose Petal Jam?
Ingredients List
- 2 cups packed organic rose petals
- 2 cups pectin sugar
- 1½ cups filtered water
- 2–3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Cooking Instructions
Simmer the Petals:
Place the water and rose petals in a saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer for 10 minutes.
Add Sugar:
Stir in the sugar and continue until it dissolves completely.
Add Lemon Juice:
Add the freshly squeezed lemon juice — you’ll notice the color change right away.
Simmer and Test:
Continue simmering, stirring constantly, for about 20 minutes. Test the set by dropping a little onto a frozen plate and tilting it — repeat until the jam forms a skin and stops flowing, which means it’s ready for bottling.
Bottle:
Switch off the heat and pour into sterilized jars set on a tea towel, leaving a little gap at the top, then close tightly.
Serving Suggestions
Because it spreads so easily, this jam works well in a lot of places:
On toast: a simple, classic favorite.
In cold milk: a spoonful makes a delicious rose milk.
On ice cream, cakes, and scones: the options are pretty much endless.
Tips for Perfect Rose Petal Jam
No canning required: this jam freezes well if you’d rather not can it.
Test the set on a frozen plate: drop a little jam on a chilled plate and tilt it — it’s ready once it forms a skin and stops flowing.
Mix it up: strawberries or apple can be combined into this recipe for a different twist.
A Note on the Sugar
Pectin sugar is used here mainly because it’s easy to find, and it helps the jam set nicely given how delicate rose petals are. Regular sugar with a splash of extra lemon juice can work as a substitute if pectin sugar isn’t available, though the set may take a little longer to test for.
Ways to Vary This Jam
This recipe is easy to build on:
Add strawberries: combine some into the mix for a fruitier jam.
Add apple: a good way to add natural pectin and bulk.
Rose milk: stir a spoonful into cold milk for a completely different way to enjoy it.
Why Homegrown Roses Matter
Using petals from roses grown and cared for at home means knowing exactly what’s gone into them — no need to worry about spray residue that might be on store-bought or florist roses, which matters when the petals are going straight into something you eat.
Watch the Video
Recipe Card
Easy Rose Petal Jam Recipe
- Total Time: 50
- Yield: 2 to 3 jars 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
A simple, fragrant jam made from fresh rose petals — lovely on toast, scones, ice cream, or stirred into cold milk for rose milk.
Ingredients
- 2 cups packed organic rose petals, washed
- 2 cups pectin sugar
- 1½ cups filtered water
- 2–3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Instructions
-
Simmer the Petals:
Place the water and rose petals in a saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer for 10 minutes.
-
Add Sugar:
Stir in the sugar and continue until it dissolves completely.
-
Add Lemon Juice:
Add the freshly squeezed lemon juice — you’ll notice the color change right away.
-
Simmer and Test:
Continue simmering, stirring constantly, for about 20 minutes. Test the set by dropping a little onto a frozen plate and tilting it — repeat until the jam forms a skin and stops flowing, which means it’s ready for bottling.
-
Bottle:
Switch off the heat and pour into sterilized jars set on a tea towel, leaving a little gap at the top, then close tightly.
Notes
This jam freezes well if you’d rather not can it. Strawberries or apple can be combined into the recipe for a different twist.
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 20
- Category: Jams & Jellies
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3
- Calories: 30
- Fat: 0
Your feedback is valuable
If you try this recipe and love it, I would love if you come back and gave it 5 stars! Thank you so much for visiting Vital Fair Living – we’re so happy you’re here! I would love it if you can share this recipe using the social media buttons you see next to the post.
if you are going to edit the blog, please be aware that the word toast has two meanings, but when it is dried/heated bread, the singular and plural are both toast (no plural s). When the s is added, it refers to alcoholic drinks that are ceremoniously drunk, toasts to the emperor, etc.
Thanks for the correction will do it now.
Chitra, although Mr Snyder here is right, we all understood what you meant. Being able to speak a foreign language and make videos on youtube is all to your credit. By the way, your jam is great!
Thanks. Actually, I consider English to be my first language despite me being fluent in 6 languages but nowadays I mix up a lot with German. I should really double check while editing before publishing.
Thank you for recipe! I love your segments. Do you do crafts like rose petal rosary beads, if you do I would love to know about how to make rose petal rosary beads. The rose milk sounds wonderful. I can wait to start with rose petal jam. One beautiful of God’s creations!
Thanks. I don’t at present have time for crafts, probably should ask my little daughter to try it out, she is always trying out these craft stuff. I have sandalwood rosary beads.Think rose petal rosary beads sounds good. Could make one with rose hips. They are dry and we can easily string them up. Doubt if the smell is good after. I usually collect rose hips from wild roses and make tea in the winter because its full of Vit. C.