Smell a rose. Really stick your face into it. Notice its intoxicating perfume, how it draws you in, makes you feel. Notice its velvety petals. Open your mouth, and hold one of those petals in it. Breathe that
aroma into your mouth, into your body. Lick the rose petal, then slowly begin eating it. Notice its aroma, how it courses through your body, as you imbibe this plant that has been associated with love, the heart, pleasure,
and medicine, through cultures all over the world, from ancient times, til present moments.
All parts of the Rose plant (Rosa spp.) are useful: buds, petals, leaves, hips, seeds. I particularly enjoy the buds, petals, and hips. The leaves are more astringent, whereas the buds and petals are
calming, cooling, slightly astringent, and balancing. The hips contain more vitamin C and antioxidants, and a tangy flavor. Buds may be collected at the start of the rose season, early spring or late summer, depending on your
location. Petals are best collected right after the flower’s been at the height of its bloom, when it’s already been pollinated, and the petals are already preparing to fall off. I bring my gathering bag right under the
flower, open my hand wide, then just brush the petals in. Hips can be gathered fresh or dried on the plant. This is a gentle yet powerful plant that is beneficial as both food and medicine, often abundantly plentiful, and
highly enjoyable. Here’s a few of my favorite preparations:
Tea
Buds, petals, and hips all dry to make elegant teas, or combined with other dried plants for more complex tea formulas. Buds and petals have a gentle sweetness, and help unify any tea formula, especially when
one is in need of soothing, relaxing, loving energy. Also wonderful used in a potpourri, or bath.
Rose petal honey
Fill a glass jar with fresh and clean rose petals, then fill again with honey. Honey is antibacterial, so if the petals are not too moist, then this preparation can last indefinitely. Store in a cool, dark
place. Useful for superficial wounds and burns, or used as you would any usual honey. Decadent.
Rose petal sugar
Layer rose petals and your sugar of choice atop each other in a glass jar, until the jar is full. Let sit. If the petals are dry, then this turns into a delicious rose candy. If the petals are moist, then it
turns into a candy-like syrup. If you add water (my mom’s favorite preparation), then it becomes a delicious rose wine. If making rose wine or any other fermentation, just make sure that all of your tools are sterilized
first, to prevent unwanted mold growth. Otherwise, enjoy.
Rose petal/ hip jam
Rose petals make for a lighter tasting, highly aromatic jam. Rose hips create a sweet and sour jam. Try both! Just boil down the petals or hips in water, until the water is reduced to half. Add enough sugar
that it tastes just slightly (or very) overly sweet. Have your sterilized tools prepared beforehand, then can it up! Enjoy through the winter. If making rose hip jam, try to de-seed the hips before heating them, as after heating
they become very sticky, and difficult to work with. I like using fresh hips for this. I cut them in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, then plop the fleshy de-seeded bodies right into my cooking pot. Use this jam as you
would any other jam. It tastes absolutely amazing, and can really help brighten up a long cold winter, or even just a tough day.
Rose petal coconut oil
Fill a jar with freshly wilted rose petals. Place the jar into a pot of water, creating a double-boiler type situation. (Or just use a crock pot.) Heat it all up, gradually filling the bottle with coconut oil,
which melts with the surrounding heat. Let sit for a few hours, then strain. Delicious eaten, used as a decadent personal lubricant, or combined in other recipes, such as chocolates, or other sweets.
Rose petal vinegar
Fill a jar (notice a pattern, here?) with fresh rose petals. Fill again with apple cider vinegar, so that it covers the petals. Let sit for 2 weeks, then strain out the petals. This vinegar is delicious, with
all the wonderful aforementioned rosy properties. It is also helpful as a wonderful sunburn remedy, or toner.
Roses are missible in a variety of menstrua, meaning that they go well into lots of different things, even being adaptable to different people. Other rose-related project possibilities include rose petal tincture,
rose elixir, rose hydrosol, rose glycerite, rose hip seed oil, rose water, and rose petal chocolates. Get to know your local rose varieties. Experiment with these and your own preparations, and if nothing else, just spend
time with them: pick them and place them around your home, admire them, and always remember to stop to smell, touch, see, feel, taste, and know the roses.
