On a top 10 list of purdiest edible plants, rosellas would have to be right up there (possibly vying for pole position with aubergines): Lemon yellow blossoms fluttering from wiry crimson stalks studded with rows of ruby buds - very chic.
Best of all though, they're ridiculously tough ... and prolific - so much so they'd easily make my top ten list of delicious weeds (along with pumpkins, and cherry tomatoes of course).
Then there's the jam. Rosellas make the best jam full stop. It's rich and tart and unlike anything you've ever tasted. And the colour is outrageous - a magenta pink-red that's pure Bollywood.
You rarely - if ever - see it in shops. Rosella jam is a dinky-di, backyard, homemade, nana-style preserve. Should you ever happen upon it at, say, a CWA cake stall - pounce. It's gold.
As jam making goes, rosellas can be quite labour intensive - but hey, that's part and parcel of the pleasure of homemade: Slow down. Sit outside. Pour yourself a cuppa, or a beer. Relax. Be in the moment.
That's how I spent my Saturday.
Pick a bowlful of buds. (secateurs recommended - they're tough little numbers). Grab a seat under a tree and start separating petals (they peel of quite neatly) from the cute green pods inside.
Now comes the clever bit (as in mama nature being clever). The pectin comes pre-packaged in the pods. Place these (pods) in a saucepan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Simmer for around 40 minutes, or until the liquid becomes thick and gelatinous. Strain through a sieve or some muslin.
Place the petals in a heavy-based pot, add the strained pod liquid, and simmer for 20 minutes until the petals start to soften (you may need to add a little extra water to avoid burning - and keep stirring).
Now add sugar. At this point it gets a bit tricky. Usually any jam recipe pre-1980 uses way too much sugar - i.e. one cup of sugar for one cup of fruit. That said, rosellas are like rhubarb: They really need sugar to bring out the flavour, but ... you don't want to lose their unique tartness. In this batch, I used about 4 of sugar to 6 of fruit and it seemed about right. It really depends on your tastebuds, and the ripeness of the fruit.
Yes, that colour is for real. Do not adjust your monitor. Simmer for another 20 minutes or so. Careful not to overcook or the jam will lose its glorious technicolour brilliance. Test if ready by putting a spoonful on an icy cold saucer from the fridge. If it thickens and sets you're done.
Spoon into sterilised jars. 
Sit back and feel smug.
Wait - there's more:
Should this be the first you've heard of rosellas - or at least, the non-feathered variety - well, you're probably relieved to have discovered I'm not making parrot jam.
To learn more, just head on over to the folks at Green Harvest. Their on-line fruit and veg catalogue certainly gets my pulse racing, and they post (organic) seeds, and other gardener's delights, to anywhere in Australia.
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1 comments:
Well now I want to be adopted by you...oh how my mouth is watering.
I'm sure you'll have some left in July - please say you will - and I can taste test.
Feeling miserably desert like and missing the tropics and real food...
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