Eating from your yard tip~Rose was the herb of the year in 2012. The Herb Society invited the Rose Society to talk about roses. It quickly became apparent that while Rose Society people strive to grow the perfect rose, Herb Society folks are more interested in how you eat a rose, which baffled the speaker. This peeked my interest in eating roses. Little did I know that for thousands of years roses have been used both medicinally and in culinary creations. The rose petals and rose hips are both edible. In the Fall we can talk about rose hips, but today let’s focus on the rose petals. A couple things to keep in mind~dark colored fragrant roses are the most flavorful. The little white part at the base of the petal is bitter and should be removed before cooking. Kay Young showed me a trick to cut off the petals with a scissor, which leaves the bitter white tip on the plant with the base so it can form a rose hip. Like all herbs it is best to harvest the petals once the dew has dried, but before the heat of the day making 10 am ideal. Many products/poisons used to create perfect rose bushes are not fit for human consumption, so be very careful to know what has been applied to the rose bush from which you are harvesting. While your average American may not routinely cook with roses, in the Middle East, Mediterranean and East Indian cooking with roses is common. Rose water can be made at home or bought for a couple dollars at your local middle eastern market and is used in everything from desserts to rice dishes. Jean Gordon’s Art of Cooking with Roses has a recipe for chicken glazed with butter, honey, rosewater and pistachios~that glaze would also be good on pork. She also suggests adding rose water to your pie crust. My personal favorite is Daffodils’ rose baklava made with cashews, white chocolate chips, cardamom, rose water and lots of sugar. I made a rose petal butter frosting with 3 Tablespoons of finely chopped rose petals, 1/2 cup softened butter, 3/4 cup powdered sugar, and two Tablespoons of rose water~ lovely lovely. Sheila Krueger sent me a recipe for a cucumber yogurt salad with dill, cherries and rose petals. Sharon Ohmberger made chunky rose petal pesto and rose infused honey to sooth scratchy throats and coughs. To infused alcohol or vinegar just take rose petals and cover them with vinegar or alcohol and leave covered for four weeks in a dark place, then strain and enjoy! Rose sugar is easy to make by layering rose petals and sugar and letting it sit for several weeks. One of the most lovely treats in the world is Kay Young’s wild rose jelly made with rhubarb juice and rose petals. Rose syrup is also popular added to drinks, desserts and a glaze for meat or sweet potatoes. My go to stress relieving drink is the Organic India’s Sweet Rose Tulsi~pure heaven. How do you eat roses?
– Jill Kuhel
