Home made Rose Petal Jam and a cup of Balmy Lemon Tea

Rose Petal Jam

from Richard Mabey's book Food for Free
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1. You will only need to prepare a small potful, as it is very sweet. Take two cups of wild rose petals (only supplement with those from garden roses if absolutely necessary as the thick, fleshy petals of the garden varieties are very difficult to reduce to jelly).

2. Sort through the petals, and remove any withered ones (cram them down into the cup when measuring).
Dissolve two cups of caster sugar in half a cup of water, mixed with one tablespoon each of lemon juice and orange juice.

3. Stir in the rose petals and put the pan over a very low heat. Stir continuously for 30 minutes, or until all the petals have 'melted'. Cool the mixture a little, pour into a small glass jar and seal.

Lemon Balm Tea

1. First find some wild lemon balm leaves nestling amongst the nettles in the garden. Boil a kettle. Pick 4 small lemon balm leaves and place them in a cup. Pour the boiling water in and let stew for a few minutes. That's it folks! Enjoy the fresh citrus taste of the tea.

My spies tell me that lemon balm lifts the spirits and can be also used to aid digestion and headaches. Scatter it in salads. I'll have to see if I can make a cake with our lemon balm one of these days.