Most people think of roses just in a garden but they can be eaten. Certain types of edible roses are tastier than others like Rosa damascena, Rosa gallica, and the one featured in this article Rosa rugosa. They can be dried for tea, or cooked directly into jellies and syrups for dessert ingredients.
In tea, they are thought to help with improving your digestion, elevating your mood, and assisting with blood circulation. In jelly they just taste great and smell just like fresh petals, I bought my first jar at Harrods in London.
When choosing roses to harvest make sure they have not been sprayed with any chemicals. When you go to harvest your rose petals pick the petals early in the morning when the flowers are the sweetest and most flavorful. Then wash them in clean water, pat them dry and put on a plate.
Then place the petals in a sunny, dry place in your house. Depending on the conditions, the drying process can take three to five days. Then store them in an airtight container. They will stay aromatic for up to one year. When you go to make tea, take a teaspoon full of petals, pour hot water over them and steep for 3 minutes before drinking.
And if you don't have access to roses or have the time to dry them you can always buy them at a store or online. I recently bought some rose petal tea online at the Tea Spot. That also applies for the rose syrup and rose petal jam (although this can be hard to find). Enjoy.
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| Wild rose (Rosa rugosa) in thorny bush, Northern Maine, Copyright 2020 by Helen A. Lockey |
In tea, they are thought to help with improving your digestion, elevating your mood, and assisting with blood circulation. In jelly they just taste great and smell just like fresh petals, I bought my first jar at Harrods in London.
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| Freshly picked wild roses and red clover flowers, Northern Maine Copyright 2020 by Helen A. Lockey |
When choosing roses to harvest make sure they have not been sprayed with any chemicals. When you go to harvest your rose petals pick the petals early in the morning when the flowers are the sweetest and most flavorful. Then wash them in clean water, pat them dry and put on a plate.
 |
| Dried wild rose petals and red clover buds, Northern Maine Copyright 2020 by Helen A. Lockey |
Then place the petals in a sunny, dry place in your house. Depending on the conditions, the drying process can take three to five days. Then store them in an airtight container. They will stay aromatic for up to one year. When you go to make tea, take a teaspoon full of petals, pour hot water over them and steep for 3 minutes before drinking.
And if you don't have access to roses or have the time to dry them you can always buy them at a store or online. I recently bought some rose petal tea online at the Tea Spot. That also applies for the rose syrup and rose petal jam (although this can be hard to find). Enjoy.
