Celebrating Roses
Published in Leawood Lifestyle Magazine and Johnson County Lifestyle Magazine, July 2022. Photography by Janie Jones.
My Rose Journey
I have to admit, I haven’t always been a fan of roses. Even as a lover of the old classical ways and vintage things, I couldn’t get past the thorns. Literally. As an amateur gardener in our first home, I just couldn’t get past my torn up hands as I attempted to prune and care for them. Hard pass. A few years later when we moved into our home at Silvertooth I was very happy to learn that roses were not included in the landscape (cue rejoicing). My hands were saved!
Fast forward to our first big home project… constructing a pool and backyard living space. What a privilege it was to put together a space where nothing was before. In all the excitement, hardworking and two years of patience it took to complete, I somehow forgot to include “no roses” in the final landscaping plans. I guess I don’t need to tell you that I found myself with roses again. Lots and lots of roses.
As our first summer swimming season rolled in, I found myself with long summer days playing lifeguard for our kids, those roses grew on me. I learned to care for them, wear gloves when pruning (duh) and even experiment with the health benefits that roses bring. Now, any chance I can, I will try to incorporate these stunning flowers into party planning as table scapes, edible garnishes, dessert toppers and so much more. Roses are most definitely a timeless classic, beautiful and edible.
In beauty, aroma, as well as health benefits, the rose compares to none. Today I will show you a simple way to extract the gorgeous floral taste and smell from your backyard roses to make rosewater; an ingredient for countless refreshing recipes.
Why Rosewater?
Rosewater has the most glorious smell and can be used in countless recipes from refreshing cocktails to beauty products and so much more, including:
Adding rosewater to your bath water for a relaxing aroma.
Adding rosewater to homemade sugar scrubs.
Using rosewater as linen spray.
Adding rosewater to in refreshing drinks such as rose lemonade (see below).
Using rosewater as a facial spritz (see below).
Rosewater is made by using a simple distilling process that extracts the floral essence from the rose petals. This process captures the rose aroma and health benefits.
*disclaimer: you should only use flowers that are grown organically, ideally in your own planter or yard. Do not use flowers purchased from a florist or flowers that could have been sprayed with chemical pesticides. Wherever you find your edible flowers make sure that they are free of pesticides and other chemicals.
DIY Rosewater
The foundation for all rose infused recipes is rosewater. You can purchase rosewater but making your own is so simple and free if your landscape includes roses. Follow along to learn how to make rosewater using only the petals from your very own rose bushes (or those from a friendly neighbor).
Ingredients
2 cups garden rose petals (chemical free)
4 cups water & 2 cups of ice cubes
Instructions
Place water and rose petals in a saucepan.
Carefully place an empty bowl inside the saucepan.
Set a lid upside-down to cover.
Place ice cubes on the upside-down lid and simmer on low.
Condensation will form on the inside of the lid and drip into the empty bowl creating rose water.
Once rose petals have lost their color (5 to 15 minutes), turn off the heat and let cool.
Place rose water into a glass bottle and keep refrigerated for up to a year. Use in recipes below.
Rosewater Lemonade
Ingredients
1 cup rosewater
1 cup granulated white sugar
1 1/2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice
4-6 cups water
lemon slices
Instructions
Place rosewater and sugar in a saucepan and simmer low until sugar dissolves into a simple syrup. Set aside.
Squeeze lemon juice into a pitcher.
Add rosewater simply syrup and water to the pitcher.
Stir to combine.
Garnish with lemon slices and fresh rose petals.
Serve over ice.
Rosewater Facial Spritz
Create an easy and refreshing facial spritz using rosewater. Place in small bottles and give as parting gifts to guests at your next celebration. Use to spritz on face and body to cool off on hot summer days.
Ingredients
1/2 cup rosewater
1/2 cup alcohol-free witch hazel
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Instructions
Combine ingredients in a glass jar and gently stir to combine.
Pour into small bottles and trim with twine or ribbon and a gift tag.
To use, spritz on face or apply with a cotton ball, followed by a hydrating moisturizer.
Store Rosewater Facial Spritz in the refrigerator and use it within 1–2 weeks. To make it last longer, use 5 drops of lemon essential oil in place of the fresh juice.
Feature
I am so honored to have been featured alongside my friend Lauren in Leawood Lifestyle Magazine and Johnson County Lifestyle Magazine, July 2022. Photography by the talented Janie Jones. Sharing my rosewater joys and so much more. Check it out here!
For more edible flower ideas you can read my blog post Candied Pansies and The Dandelion where I share my love for edible flowers and their countless uses. I can’t wait to see if you decide to play with your flowers too!
Let’s share together over at @silvertoothhome. Happy Summer!
