The Many Ways To Use Dried Rose Petals

  
I know from the looks of it I seem to be rose petal crazy, right?  But there is a huge abundance of wild roses all around us, so why not use them?  I have been researching alot about ways that rose petals can be used in foods and in other areas around the house and here is what I have found so far. 


 If you have anymore ideas that I have not listed please feel free to leave a comment so that we can all learn from what you have learned along the way.




The Medicinal Purposes of Roses




Roses are not only beautiful to look at but at the same time they can help with many common ailments.  I found this to be rather interesting.

Did You Know?  

                

1.  Tea prepared with rose petals and leaves is also effective in cleansing toxins and heat from the body, particularly when they give rise to rashes on the skin and inflammatory (swelling and irritation) problems. Several researched have shown that the rose also possesses properties that increases the body’s immunity and helps to restrict all kinds of infections from becoming larger problems. This is possible owing to the rose’s cleansing or purification properties.

2.  Infusion prepared with rose petals may be used to alleviate cold and flu symptoms. At the same time, the infusion is effective in treating sore throats, runny nose as well as congested bronchial tracts. At the same time, roses are also effective in combating infections in the digestive system and restoring the normal and essential bacteria in the intestines. The petals and seeds of the rose have a diuretic effect and are beneficial in relieving excessive fluids from the urinary bladder. This way, they also help in getting rid of the waste and toxic substances in the body through the kidneys. Hence, rose is also considered to be an effective cleanser and 

purifier.

3. Like the rose hips, the petals of the rose flowers also have numerous remedial uses. For instance, the rose petals are effective in relieving congestion in the female reproductive system. In addition, the rose petals may also be used to treat the excessive accumulation of fluid in the urinary tract and thereby alleviate pains and, in women, heavy periods. Physicians also recommend the use of rose petals to treat erratic menstrual periods, infertility as well as to perk up sexual desire in individuals.

4.  Infusion prepared from the rose petals acts as a useful astringent and is effective for treating diarrhea, enteritis and dysentery. It may be noted here that tea prepared from rose petals may be used as a laxative to clear bowel movement. At the same time, the rose petal tea is also an effective medication for the liver and enhances flow of bile, invigorates as well as purifies the liver and the gallbladder. It also helps in alleviating problems related with lethargic liver like headaches and constipation.

5. Rose hips as well as the petals of the rose flowers possess inspiring as well as reconditioning affects on the nervous system. They are also capable of alleviating the problems of insomnia, do away with depression, drive out fatigue and also offer comfort in conditions such as tetchiness 

APPLICATIONS

Different parts of the rose plant are useful for different purposes and hence they have different applications. The rose hips or fruits of the rose plant, flowers and even the petals are beneficial in some way or the other and used by people as tincture, syrup, essential oil, cream, lotion, rosewater, massage oil, gargle and decoction.

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Flowers - R. rugosa:

The rose flowers (R. rugosa) are helpful for treating menstrual and liver disorders and may be ingested as a decoction.
DECOCTION: A decoction prepared with rose flowers (R. rugosa) may be blended with another herb motherwort and ingested for treating heavy menstruation. On the other hand, when the decoction is blended with herbs like bai shao yao and xiang fu, it provides an effective medication for ;liver dysfunction.

Petals - R. gallica:

The petals of the rose flower are beneficial in treating menstruation and stomach disorders. A tincture prepared with them may be used as a gargle for throat infections.
TINCTURE: Ingesting approximately three ml of a tincture prepared with rose petals thrice daily is helpful in treating diarrhea as well as sluggish absorption of food. When the same tincture is blended with other herbs like the lady’s mantle, white deadnettle or shepherd's purse, the medication is effectual for treating erratic or intense menstruation.

information in this section was gathered from: www.herbs2000.com

How I Dried Rose Petals

My husband and children had taken a walk yesterday and brought me a whole bunch of roses that they had found along the roadway because they knew that I had been making Rose Petal Jelly (but after already canning 10 1/2 pints I think we have enough Rose Petal Jelly..lol..) so I decided to dry them instead:

1.  Gently wash the roses.  (Do not use roses that have been sprayed if you intend to use them for food purposes)

2.  Stick them in your dehydrator being sure not to overcrowd them. Keep the roses in the dehydrator until they become brittle and not rubbery.  I dried the complete roses and stuck them face down.  They seem to dry well in this fashion.

3.  After they have dried store them in a airtight container  (I used a canning jar with lid)

There are plenty of ways to dry rose petals but this was the quickest way I found to dry them.

Now that you have dried your roses what can you do with them?  Well there are plenty of things that I have found.

Rose Potpourri                                           




 Make rose potpourri perhaps?  

Here's a couple of the many ways to make potpourri out of your dried rose petals:




1. Mix the dried rose petals with a fixative in a bowl. You can use dried lavender, sandalwood or orris root as a fixative. Orris root is available in drug stores and sandalwood or dried lavender is available in many herb shops. You will need one tablespoon of fixative to every quart of dried rose petals.Add scents that will complement the scent of roses, if you prefer. Some good choices are vanilla beans, citrus peels or cloves.

2. Add a few drops of rose scented essential oil to enhance the natural rose oils in your potpourri.

3. Place the potpourri mixture in a sealed jar and shake to mix well. Let the potpourri set for 10 days to allow the scents to blend and settle. Shake every other day to distribute scent throughout the mixture.

ROSE BOWL

• 4 cups bone-dry rose petals
• 2 cups dried rose leaves
• 2 Tbs. ground cinnamon
• 3 cups dried lavender buds
• 1/3 cup orris root powder
• 2 Tbs. ground all-spice
• 1/4 cup ground cloves
• 2 ground tonka beans
• 6 drops oil of roses
• 3 drops oil of lavender

Combine all the dry ingredients, mix well, and add the oils, a drop at a time, mixing as you work. Seal into a jar, and cure for 6 weeks in a dry, dark, warm place that is well ventilated. Shake the jar daily. When cured, turn the potpourri into a decorative container with a tightly stoppered lid. Open only when the potpourri is in use.

Cooking With Dried Rose Petals

          Did You Know?






Cooking with roses is nothing new, however.  The practice of using roses in cooking dates 

back centuries. Roses, in fact, have been used extensively in Middle Eastern cuisines to 

enhance the taste of foods and beverages. Roses, with their subtle, sweet taste, make a 

pleasing recipe ingredient. 

Rose Petal Iced Tea

Ingredients

• 1 cup of dried rose petals
• 3 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 cups water
• 2 teaspoons rose water
• 1 drop pink food coloring 
• 3 green tea bags
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar


Directions

1.  Bring the 3 cups water to a boil. Add the rose petals and lemon juice then turn off the heat and allow it to sit for 8-10 hours.

2. Strain the 'rose water' into large jug. Remove petals & discard.

3. Bring the 2 cups of water to a boil, remove from heat and place in the tea bags. Brew for 5 minutes. Remove the tea bags, and add the granulated sugar to the tea. Stir.

4. Allow the tea to cool then add the 2 tsp rose water, the food colouring and stir. Serve well chilled over ice.




Rose Petal Syrup

                                                                                                                    

Ingredients:

4 cups dried rose petals
4-6 cups water, so the petals float quite freely.  (You'll get the flavor extracted best if you allow lots of room in the pan.)

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Directions:

1. Simmer the petals until all the color has gone into the liquid, about 30 minutes.  

2. Strain & return liquid to pan.  Gently reduce to about 1 ½  cups liquid-takes about an hour or maybe longer.  (House smells wonderful...) 

 3. Then add sugar and lemon juice.  

4. Boil just until all dissolved (you don't want to overheat the sugar or it will taste carmellized) and bottle in sterilized jars.  This makes about 12 oz.

Rose Sugar

Ingredients:

1 cup dried rose petals
1 cup sugar

Directions:

1. Either mix petals with sugar, or blend fine in a food processor.  

2. Store for at least a week before using.  You can mix mix the whole petals and sift them out.  This will be a bit damp & clumpy but keeps well frozen.

Rose Cheesecake

                              

Directions:

1. Use your favorite cheesecake recipe, reserving 1/2 cup of the batter and tinting it nicely with rose syrup, about 1 Tbsp. 

2.  Swirl this pink rose batter through the surface of the cheesecake, then bake as usual.
Glaze finished cheesecake with 1/4 cup of melted Rose Petal Jelly. (recipe in previous post)

                                                                                                                                   

*There are tons of other recipes that could include dried rose petals in them but these were just a few of my favorites that I ran across. *

Beauty Treatment Using Dried Rose Petals


Did You Know?

The rose petal face mask is soothing to the skin, and the petals have antiseptic properties, destroying bacteria that can cause acne flare-ups. With a handful of dried roses you can make yourself your own rose petal mask

Instructions For Making a Face mask with Dried Rose Petals

Ingredients:

1 cup dried rose petals

1/2 cup of old fashioned rolled oats

food processor

1.  Put 1/3 cup of the rolled oats into a food processor. Using the "pulse" feature, grind the oatmeal for a few seconds until it resembles a coarse flour.

2. Add rose petals to the oatmeal in the food processor. Pulse again for 10 seconds.



3. Add two teaspoons of rose water, and then 1/4 cup of honey to the rose petals and oatmeal mixture. Pulse for 10 seconds. If you have a difficult time getting the mixture to blend well in your food processor, you can mix it vigorously by hand, or try it in a blender. Often larger food processors don't work well for small mixing small amounts of ingredients.


4. Apply the rose petal mixture to your face and allow it to stay on for 30 minutes. Rinse off with warm water and gently towel your skin dry.

1. • 
     
   • I am sure that there are many other ways to use dried rose petals but I just wanted to show you a few.  So the next time that you are out in your yard or better yet driving down the road and you spot a beautiful rose remember that a rose can be used for a variety of different purposes instead of just being a beautiful flower!  Hope this was helpful...

Thanks for stopping by....


mommamarler