We all know about being invited to have a glass of wine, either with a rich meal or with a few meze appetizers. But wine can also be an excellent addition to many food and dessert recipes.
This year, after making pomegranate juice jelly and grape jelly, I decided to try out the recipe I’m going to introduce to you here.
The spur to my experimenting was a visit to the Strofilia estate on 1st April, tasting the estate wines, my love of rosé wines, plus the invitation/challenge from Maria Maltezou to appear on their new site with a preparation of my own.
This is how this wine-based jelly, flavoured with rose petals, came about.
We can use this jelly as a spread on small cookies with our afternoon tea or as a garnish for different cheeses or cold meats, with a glass of the same wine.
I used a 2017 Strofilia rosé made with Agiorgitiko and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Ingredients for two jars of 220 ml:
370 ml Strofilia rosé
270 g sugar
14 g of apple pectin
2 dessertspoons of rose water
1 dessertspoon of lemon juice
Rose petals from one large or two small centifolia roses.
Method
1. Carefully remove the rose petals and discard any that are withered or damaged. Use scissors to cut away the white part at the base of the petals. Wash the petals and spread them on a clean towel to dry.
2. In a small saucepan mix the wine with the sugar and place them on the stove at a low heat. Stir with a wooden spoon until the sugar has dissolved, before adding the pectin. Stir well to dissolve the pectin and increase the heat to medium-high.
3. Boil, stirring constantly, for about five minutes, while adding the lemon juice.
4. Check the thickening of the gel with a thermometer. Desired temperature is 105 degrees Celsius.
5. Transfer the jelly to the jars and add to each jar a teaspoon of rose water.
6. Leave on the kitchen counter for 15 minutes and add the rose petals, pressing them in with a clean skewer so they mix with the jelly.
7. Once it has cooled sufficiently, seal the jars securely with the lids and store them, preferably in the refrigerator.
If rose petals are hard to find, increase the amount rose water a little.
Recipe, text and photos: Xanthi Baxevani from the blog “Asproula’s Recipes“.
