Rosehips
The single-flowered varieties of Rugosa rose with their abundant, repeat flowering habit, and tolerance of cold and seaside locations, bear clusters of plum sized hips that are excellent for use in syrups and teas. Harvest the rosehips when fully coloured and dry in the same way as the flowers.
Herbal Roses
The edible petals of herbal roses make delicious conserves and are used in salads and desserts. Herbal roses prefer full sun and most of the herbal roses flower only once a year, but abundantly over a month. Harvest herbal roses when they have just opened, on sunny mornings as soon as the dew has dried. To dry, spread the flowers on flyscreen covered frames out of direct sunlight. Crystallize rose petals for use in decorations.
Looking After Your Roses
Old roses are very tough and need not be pruned. If you wish to prune them for shaping, do so immediately after flowering ceases as they flower on ripe wood.
Roses In Recipes
Ras el hanout and my own masala contain rose petals.
Roses In Aromatherapy
Roses have been used for a long time in the production of essential oils, perfumes and rose water. The Arabs first started distilling rose petals with water in the 9th Century to create rose water. Do not confuse aromatherapy rose water with the one used for baking. Rose oil is still considered one of the most important of all scents in perfumery. The most notable of this is the essential oil from damask roses. They were brought to Europe from Damascus by the Crusaders. If you wish to plant this variety at home, look for the Persian rose Ispahan.
Information sourced from The Complete Book of Herbs and The Essential Aromatherapy Garden. Make sure you take a look at these caveats before using an essential oil, and if possible, buy organic.
What I blogged:
- one year ago – in my kitchen: November 2011
- two years ago – crayfish pasta with brandy
What a beautiful plant my friend, I would never have thought it edible 😀
Cheers
CCU
I love using roses in my desserts 🙂
I think you mean “rahat lokum” (Turkish Delight) and not “ras al hanout” which is one of my store cupboard spices for making cous cous and tagines.
I meant ras el/al hanout as I use rose petals in my version 🙂
Ooh, I would love a few bushes in our garden.
Have a lovely weekend.
🙂 Mandy
I must plant one or two as well!
What a lovely post, I cherish your posts on herbs especially as I love to grow them myself (like the tomatoes!). I bought two fragrant roses in early summer and hope they will survive the coming winter as I want to make more rose gelée (or jelly but I prefer gelée as it sounds so sophisticated).
And I love Ras el Hanout, what a great idea to add rose petals to it. I have to try this out, thanks for sharing, Tandy!
thank you Barbara 🙂 I am really going to plant some rose bushes after posting this, as they are so easy to maintain!
Great post and now you´ve reminded me t hat I ought to make the most of all the rosehips I see here around me in the south of England!
pick loads to take back with you!
Very interesting. I’ve only heard of rose hips being used in tea.
I had heard of cordial as well before this post 🙂
I’d love to do more with roses! I think I’d just need to find some organic ones though so I can cook with them 🙂
they must be organic if you are going to cook with them!
Very interesting, Tandy. Thanks for sharing 🙂
my pleasure Giovanna 🙂
I love edible flowers! I’m currently hooked on a Portuguese brand which sells them, “Gouchi”. http://www.herdadedecarvalhoso.pt/4241gouchifloresdesidratadas.html
I shall take a look at them 🙂
Edible flowers are so fun! And pretty, too.
they are indeed yummychunklet 🙂
What beautiful photographs, Tandy! Crystallised rose petals are some of the most beautiful things I have ever seen on a cake. Very special.
I am going to have to give them a try 🙂
Lovely post, Tandy. Those herbal roses look wonderful. I’d never heard of them before.I always learn something new when I visit your blog. 🙂
I love that you learn something new here! I feel the same way when I see all your stunning photos 🙂
Lovely post Tandy, and so informative
thank you Usha 🙂
It would be nice to decorate a cake with crystallize rose petals!
I think so too Rita 🙂
I just discovered the greatness of rose hips this year and can vouch for what you’re saying…amaaazing!!
thanks Squishy 🙂
Very interesting post Tandy 🙂
thank you Hope 🙂
Hi tandy, a lovely scent filled post! I always think Rose hips are pretty – the flowers such a delicate pink and the hips add colour later in the year. Oh and pass me th ebox of Turkish Delight 😉
I am heading to the nursery today to see if they have any I can plant 🙂
Very interesting post, as always, Tandy! I hope you had a great weekend?
thank you Zirkie, we had a lovely weekend and I hope you enjoyed yours as well 🙂