"Before"
Or: rose jam gone awry. My “Fragrant Cloud” is blooming more than ever before, and because of her quadruple-f (high fragrance rating according to Vintage Gardens nursery) I decided to try to capture it.
Soaked a tubful of the fresh petals in water overnight, boiled them in the (two cups) water for about five or ten minutes over at my friend Joan’s place, threw in about 2 c. sugar and a packet of pectin and a squeeze of lemon. Stirred. Waited.
It was pretty, and according to the recipe you’re supposed to strain out the petals, but excuse me: they are the source of the fragrance.
THe recipe had also called for cutting off the paled “bitter” tip of each petal, the part that secures it to the center of the flower…Dream on!
OK, so I got some of the tastiest imaginable syrup, full of these floating rags of “wet blue jeans” according to one bloggist. To me they were edible shreds of Eden.
Joan got a couple small very beautiful pink jars, and I kept a quart. Breakfast looked like the third picture.
Dribble it on your cream cheese toast
- During
Salivation Army 