Rose Petal Jam

Rose petal jam is made from the very strongly scented Rosa centifolia, or the more popular Rosa rugosa, known also as “the sugary one” because of its sweet taste.
This traditional product is made by manually crushing the petals with sugar and then adding a small amount of lemon juice to retain the pink color. The mixture is transferred into jars, which, if kept at low temperatures, do not need to be pasteurized.

It is difficult to find rose petal jam made in the traditional way since cheaper, industrially produced versions from the Balkans and Near East are widely available. It may be that the jam first came to Poland from these areas, given Poland’s proximity to the Ottoman Empire. In fact, many Greek, Armenian, and Jewish merchants introduced various products (not just foods) to cities in Poland. Different versions of rose petal jam are mentioned in Polish cookbooks from the 17th-20th centuries.

During Carnival, especially on Fat Thursday, long lines form in front of traditional pastry shops as people wait to buy pączki, a fried sweet similar to a doughnut, which is made only during Carnival. The most traditional version (which is now quite rare) is filled with rose petal jam. Other than for pączki, rose petal jam is used in fried dough or other baked goods.

Until a few decades ago, every family in Poland used the roses from their gardens to make this jam but now only a few families and artisans keep the tradition alive. The most famous rose petal jam today is the one made by hand from local roses (Rosa rugusa) in Konskawola, in Lublin Province.