Strawberry and Rose Water Jam
Strawberry And Rose Water Jam is a wonderful combination of tart, sweet, and floral flavours. The addition of the rose water gives a basic, classic strawberry jam, a very delicious twist.
In This Article
Nutritional Benefits
Jams made with honey offer an alternative to sweetening them with white or cane sugar while offering more depth and complexity to the overall flavour profile. Honey’s inherent sweetness also means a slightly smaller quantity is used while still achieving the desired level of sweetness.
Honey contains a vast array of antioxidants including flavonoids, phenolic compounds, quercetin and more (1). Strawberries are a rich source of nutrients, like vitamin C, folate, potassium, and fibre (2). However, vitamin C is highly sensitive to heat and is somewhat degraded in the cooking process (3).
Ingredients – What You’ll Need To Make This Recipe
The only ingredient in this recipe that is a little harder to find is the Rose water, though many supermarkets will stock it. If, like me, you’re an Ottolenghi fan, you probably already have a bottle sitting up the back of the pantry from a recipe made eons ago. This strawberry and rose water jam will give you another reason to use some of it up!
- Strawberries – This is the base flavour of the jam however, the combination with the rose water is glorious! A little tart, a little floral and a little sweet. Perfection.
- Honey – I love the added sweetness honey brings to jams. It adds a depth of flavour you just don’t get from sugar.
- Lemon juice – This is used to lower the pH of the jam and help it set.
- Rose water – This used to be such a specialty ingredient that was hard to find, but that’s no longer the case. 1.5 tablespoons in a whole batch of jam may not seem like much, but a little really does go a very long way. Don’t be tempted to use more because the flavour will intensify as it chills.
Sugar can replace the honey if preferred and the rose water is easily omitted if you’re not a fan. See the substitutions and variations section below for a detailed overview of subbing in sugar for honey.
How To Make This Strawberry And Rose Water Jam
All you need is a big pot and a little time to get this jam made. You’re looking for the strawberries to be broken right down, with a few good-sized pieces left that you can bite into.
- Cut the green tops off the strawberries and discard, then cut the strawberries into quarters.
- Toss the strawberries into a large pot with the lemon juice and honey. Place over a medium heat and allow the honey to melt.
- Reduce the heat to low just as the mixture starts to bubble, then simmer the jam mix for about an hour or until thickened. Regularly skim any scum that comes to the surface and be sure to stir frequently so the jam doesn’t stick. In the meantime, place a small saucer in the freezer. This is used to test that the jam will set.
- Ten minutes before the jam is ready – pour hot water into the jar you’ll be using. This heats it up and ensures the glass wont crack when hot jam is poured in.
- To test that the jam has set correctly, take the saucer out of the freezer and drop a teaspoon of jam onto it. Let it sit for a minute then run your finger through the middle. If the jam stays separated, it’s ready. If it rushed back to form a blob it needs to cook a little longer. Keep repeating this test until the jam remains separated on the cold saucer.
- Remove the pot from the heat once the jam is ready and stir in the rose water. Mix very well to disperse it throughout the jam.
- Pour out the water from your jam jar and give it a quick wipe with paper towel. Now pour the jam into the spotlessly clean jar, wipe the rims of any excess and seal with a lid. Leave to cool slightly on the bench then store in the fridge and use within a month.
If you would like to make this jam shelf stable see instructions for canning in my Rhubarb and Strawberry Jam post.
Substitutions And Variations
To make this jam with sugar in place of honey, I suggest using at least 1 cup. Honey is far sweeter than sugar so not increasing the volume of sugar used could mean your jam is still too tart once complete.
Not a rose water fan? Just leave it out!
Tips For Success With This Recipe
Don’t skip on testing the jam for doneness. I do this by placing a saucer in the freezer, adding a dollop of cooked jam on top and running my finger through it. If the jam stays separated, it’s done. If not, it needs to cook longer.
This step is helpful for ensuring the jam will set in the jar. Runny strawberry jam is still delicious but I prefer one that’s spreadable.
I don’t sterilise jars when making a quick jam, but they must be spotlessly clean to reduce the risk of bacterial growth. Filling them with hot water before the jam is poured in also ensures the jars don’t crack.
Storing/Freezing
This stores well in the fridge for up to one month or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To store for up to one year – put the jam into sterilised preserving jars with a removable rim lid and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
FAQ
They share a similar taste, but these jams are different. A rose petal jam uses edible rose petals along with rose water in the recipe, as opposed to simply the rose water, which is used here.
It will last for up to one month in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer. If however you choose to go through the process of canning the jams you’ve made with honey, they’ll last up to a year.
More Condiment Ideas
If you try this recipe, I’d love to know. Leave a comment, rate it, and remember to tag @wholenaturalkitchen in your pics or reels on Instagram, Facebook or TikTok!
Strawberry And Rose Water Jam
Equipment
- 1 Large saucepan
- 1 Jam jar
Ingredients
- 1.3 pounds strawberries (600g)
- ¾ cup honey
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1.5 Tbsp rose water
Instructions
- Wash and dry the strawberries, cut off the green tops and discard, then cut the strawberries into quarters.
- Toss the strawberries into a large pot with the lemon juice and honey. Place over a medium heat and allow the honey to melt.
- Just as the mixtures starts to bubble, reduce the heat to low then simmer the jam mix for about an hour or until thickened. Regularly skim any scum that comes to the surface and be sure to stir frequently so the jam doesn't stick. In the meantime, place a small saucer in the freezer. This is used to test the jam will set.
- 10 minutes before the jam is ready – pour hot water into the jar you will be using. This heats it up and ensures the glass wont crack when hot jam is poured in.
- To test that the jam has set correctly, take the saucer out of the freezer and drop a teaspoon of jam onto it. Let it sit for a minute then run your finger through the middle. If the jam stays separated, it’s ready. If it rushed back to form a blob it needs to cook a little longer. Keep repeating this test until the jam remains separated on the cold saucer.
- Once ready, remove the pot from the heat and stir in the rose water. Mix very well to disperse right throughout the jam.
- Pour out the water from your jam jar and give it a quick wipe with paper towel. Now pour the jam into the spotlessly clean jar, wipe the rims of any excess and seal with a lid. Leave to cool on the bench for a few hours then store in the fridge and use within a month.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Gabby Campbell
Gabby is a degree qualified Naturopath/Nutritionist (BHSc Nat) with a love of all whole foods. She started her Naturopathic career in clinical practice before making the move to recipe development and online education – a result of wanting to combat the misinformation that abounds on the internet about food and health. Whole Natural Kitchen aims to transform the way you think about healthy eating by helping you embrace an abundance of nutritious foods while leaving the health fads behind. MORE ABOUT GABBY
I cooked the jam for 1.25 hours but it didn’t set up all the way. Should I have kept it on longer?
Hi Dennis, possibly, but that definitely should have been long enough. Only thing I can think of is that perhaps the heat was a touch too low? And did you test it out on the frozen saucer? I often think one of my jams is still too runny but it stays separated when you test it out that way, which means it’s ready and it will set.
I love the strawberry and rose water combination. This jam is wonderful. I always try to keep frozen strawberries in my freezer when I can’t buy fresh. This would make a delightful “homemade” Christmas gift.
Yes it’s definitely great for Christmas pressies Gina!
I am an absolute sucker for anything strawberry or rose water! The sweet and floral tastes blend so well together so naturally, this jam is delicious! Can’t wait to share this with friends at my next brunch.
Me too Tara! It’s such a great flavour combination. Glad you enjoyed it.
Adding rose water to the strawberry jam was really yummy. Pinned to make again
Glad you enjoyed it Nancy!
We had our own strawberry patch growing up. Anything strawberry and I’m in. This looks like a gamechanger for me. No more boring jam! Thank you!
I have one too Charles, strawberries straight from the garden are so divine.
I am loving the combo of the strawberry with the rose water! I bet this is delicious. 🙂
It definitely is Carrie!