Rose water (also spelled Rosewater) can be used in cooking as well as a rich beauty aid.
Try some as a facial toner or astringent, in your bath water or as a facial splash (refresher).
Notes on Preparation:
■Rose petals must be freshly picked and have no pesticides or chemicals used on them.
■Pick the roses just after the morning dew has evaporated, about 2 to 3 hours after sunrise.
■Use only the petals, not the stems or leaves.
■Wash the petals quickly to remove any bugs or specks of dirt and immediately process with one of the methods below.
■If you don’t grow your own roses, ask at the local florist or Farmers Market for organic roses.
See Recipes Below For How To Make Rose Water…
Old Fashioned Recipe for Distilled Rosewater
(Rose Hydrosol)
Items Needed:
Fresh rose petals (3 to 4 quarts)
Ice cubes
Distilled Water
Enamel canning or stock pot with lid
Deep, heavy heat proof bowl
Directions:
■Fill the bottom of the pot with the rose petals and pour water over them until the petals are just covered. Place the bowl in the middle of the pot. The rim should be at least a couple inches higher than the water. If you have a canning rack, you can set the bowl on top of that so the bowl doesn’t sit directly over the heat. A pyrex loaf dish underneath the bowl would do the trick too. Set these in place first before adding the rose petals and water.
■Cover the pot with its lid, but position the lid upside down so that you have a dipped “container” to hold the ice on top (to be added later). Now turn on the heat and bring the water to a boil.
■Once the water is boiling, fill the top of the inverted pot lid with ice cubes. Turn the heat down and keep at a bare simmer for about two hours.
■Top up the ice as needed and quickly peek occasionally to see that the petals don’t boil dry.
This process will enable condensation to form on the top inside of the pot lid. The condensation will drip down into the bowl inside the pot, the liquid inside the bowl is your rose water.
Also included on this web site are recipes for:
Old Fashioned Rose Water Recipe
Homemade Rosewater – Quick & Easy Recipe
Oven Recipe for Rosewater
Important Notes
Rose Water Beauty Aid Additive