In Egypt, vendors sold crates of rose petals, in their season, for making rose water and rose jam. Certain varieties of rose, such as the wild eglantine of Turkey and Syria, are the best for jam-making. I have not been able to make a good one with the roses from my garden. The petals remained tough under the tooth.

　　

Ingredients

1 pound fresh rose petals, preferably red

　　Juice of 1 1/2 lemons, or more

　　2 cups sugar

　　2–3 tablespoons rose water (optional)

　　

Step 1

Pick fresh petals. (Make sure they have not been sprayed with insecticide.) Cut off their white ends with scissors, and wash and drain the petals. Cover with water in a large pan, add the juice of 1/2 lemon, and simmer for 30 minutes. Then drain.

　　

Step 2

In the same pan, make a syrup by boiling 2 1/2 cups of water with the sugar and the remaining lemon juice for 10 minutes. Let it cool, put the petals in, and leave them to macerate for 24 hours.

　　

Step 3

Bring the syrup and petals to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the petals are tender. Add rose water, if you like, and boil a moment more. Pour into a glass jar and let cool before closing.

　　

Variation

Step 4

Make the same jam with the blossoms of bitter Seville-orange trees.

　　The New Book of Middle Eastern Food Copyright © 2000Knopf