SWEETNESS TO RELISH

Gooseberry’s sweet tart taste pairs beautifully with the gentle fragrance of rose, both in season in June. Preserved in jars, their summery flavour can be enjoyed all year as jam. To make: Preheat the oven to 110°C/gas ¼. Wash three jam jars and their lids in hot soapy water and place on a clean baking tray in the oven for 30 mins until dry. In the meantime, combine 600g gooseberries with stalks removed, 2½ cups of jam sugar, 1 handful of cleaned rose petals and a splash of water in a large, heavy-based saucepan. Set the pan over a moderate heat, cooking for 8 mins until the sugar has dissolved and the fruit softened. Bring to a vigorous boil without stirring, brushing away any sugar or jam from the edges of the pan using a pastry brush dipped in hot water to prevent crystallisation. Skim any impurities from the surface and stir only a few times to prevent the jelly catching on the base of the pan. Boil until the jam reaches 107°C on a sugar thermometer. Remove from the heat and stir in the juice of one lemon. Strain through a fine sieve into the sterilised jars, cover and seal. Let the jam cool in a dark cupboard before serving.