Our resident forager and Mindful-in-Nature course leader Brigit-Anna McNeill shares a fragrant recipe perfect for making in the summer.
This makes a rose-tasting syrup that you can add to hot water for a nice cup of tea, or use with sparkling water for a yummy soda-type treat or just enjoy by the spoonful!
To add layers of taste, you can add other herbs to your brew such as elderberries, lemon balm, cinnamon, a pinch of cardamom, tulsi basil, and ginger to name a few!
Although this recipe includes hips and petals in its ingredients & directions, at this time of year, with just the petals an option, you could just double the amount of petals and take away the hips.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup of dried or ½ cup fresh rose hips
- ¼ cup of dried or ½ cup fresh rose petals
- Peel of one organic lemon or orange, optional
- ¾ cup of raw, unprocessed honey
- 3½ cups of water
Directions
- Combine the rose hips and citrus peel (if using) with the water in a saucepan.
- Gently simmer for about ½ hour or until the liquid has reduced by just about half.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the rose petals and cover the pot with a lid.
- Let steep for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours.
- Using a mesh strainer, strain the rose petals and hips out of the liquid, squish the herbal material to release as much of the liquid from the herbs as possible.
- Return the liquid to the pan and add the honey. Heat very gently until the honey is just dissolved.
- Bottle your syrup, add a label when cool and refrigerate. It should last for about 3 months in the fridge.
