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The Most Delicious Homemade Roselle Jam Recipe

Little House Big Barn
If you’ve ever tasted the sweet, tangy goodness of Roselle jam, you know it’s something special. Made from the calyces of the Roselle plant, which is part of the hibiscus family, this jam has a tart, cranberry-like flavor with a beautiful ruby-red color. The best part? You can easily make it at home with just a few ingredients!
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Equipment

  • Canning jars & lids
  • 1 Canning funnel
  • 1 Water bath canning pot
  • 1 Mason jar lifter
  • 1 Corer tool (optional)

Ingredients
  

  • Ripe rosellas
  • Sugar
  • Water
  • Lemon juice

Instructions
 

How to Make the Most Delicious Homemade Roselle Jam

  • Remove the calyces (red leaves) from the roselle seed pods. Wash the seed pods and the calyces separately. I used a kitchen corer tool to separate the calyces from the seed pod and remove the little stem (optional).
  • Gently squeeze the seed pod to slightly break it open. Put them in a sauce pan and add enough water to cover them.
  • Put a lid on your sauce pan and boil seed pods for about 20 minutes or until they are soft.
  • Pour through a strainer and keep the liquid. You can put the seed pods in your compost if you have one.
  • Add the washed calyces and the liquid from the seed pods to a pot. If there is not enough liquid from the seed pods to submerge the calyces then add water until they are submerged.
  • Simmer for 20 minutes allowing the mixture to thicken.
  • Remove your pan from the heat and measure the amount of cooked pulp you have in the pan. Once measured, return it to the sauce pan and add the same amount of sugar along with a squeeze of lemon. **See Notes**
  • Bring this back to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the jam has thickened.
  • Transfer to washed and sterilized jars. You can now store in the fridge or put them in a water bath to make them shelf stable for up to a year.

Steps to Water Bathing Roselle Jam

  • Prepare your water bath canner: Fill a large pot (or a water bath canner) with enough water to cover your jam jars by at least an inch. Bring the water to a simmer while you finish preparing your jam.
    Fill and seal the jars: Once your Roselle jam is ready, carefully ladle it into sterilized jars, leaving about 1/4 inch of headspace at the top. Wipe the rims clean, place the lids on, and screw the bands on until fingertip tight.
    Place jars in the canner: Using a jar lifter, gently place the jars into the simmering water. Make sure the jars are completely submerged, with at least an inch of water above the lids.
    Boil the jars: Bring the water to a full boil and process the jars for 10 minutes. Keep the water at a steady boil throughout the processing time.
    Remove and cool: After 10 minutes, turn off the heat and carefully remove the jars using the jar lifter. Place them on a towel or cooling rack, allowing them to cool completely without disturbing them.
    Check the seals: Once the jars are cool, check the seals by pressing down on the center of the lid. If it doesn’t pop back up, your jar is sealed properly. If the lid pops, refrigerate and use within a few weeks.
    Now your Roselle jam is safely preserved and ready to store in the pantry for up to a year!

Notes

  • Most recipes call for equal parts sugar to cooked pulp, but you can always use less.  I always add in less sugar than it calls for and taste it and if I feel like it needs to be a little sweeter, I add a bit more sugar.  😊