ROSES & miscellaneous uses .. for fallen petals and rosehips.

Some ideas here for use of your petals and rosehips .. enjoy!

For centuries roses have been used in decoration, in tapestry, and ceramics and china.  To the right is the frontispiece to "A Collection of Roses from Nature" by Mary Lawrance, published in 1799.  This was the first book devoted exclusively to the rose. Many a beautiful book on roses has been produced since.

ROSE PETAL JAM

1 lb red rose petals    juice 2 lemons    1 pint water    3lb sugar

NOTE: for best flavour and results, only petals of fresh young buds should be used. Cut petals into thin strips, arrange on plates, sprinkle over juice of 1 lemon.  Stand several hours or overnight.  Place petals into saucepan with water, bring just to boil,strain, reserve half the petals.  Return water to saucepan; add sugar and juice of remaining lemon.  Add reserved petals, simmer gently 30 minutes.  Cool for 15 minutes before pouring into hot sterilised jars, seal.  Makes approx 1 pint. NOTE: by using commercial pectin, a smaller amount of rose petals can be used; yield will be approximately the same. You will need 1/4 lb rose petals, juice of 1 1/2 lemons, 1 1/2 cups water, 1 lb sugar, and 2 tablespoons powdered pectin (obtainable from grocery stores).  Proceed exactly as above, stirring in pectin at the end of the cooking time, then boiling rapidly for 3 mins.

Preserves are generally used as a topping for icecreams, parfaits, and trifles.  Use old-fashioned species of roses, or wild roses as these are more delicate in flavour and texture than hybrids/floribundas.  Take care to use only plants which have not been recently sprayed with chemicals.    (I have made my jams from petals of any red roses grown in my garden.......yummy on toast).

ROSEHIP SYRUP 9 pints (4.50 litres) water, 4 lb (1.75 kg) ripe rose hips, 2 lbs 2 oz (1 kg) sugar.

Pour 3 litres (6 pints) of the water into a preserving pan /saucepan and bring to boil.  Wash and mince the rosehips and add to boiling water.  Bring back to boil, then remove from heat.  Set aside to cool for about 15 minutes. When cooled, pour into a jelly bag placed over a large mixing bowl.  When the juice is drained through, return the pulp in jelly bag to the pan and add the remaining water. Bring mixture back to the boil and pour into a clean jelly bag.  Allow to drain until all juice has dripped through. Pour the 2 bowls of juice into a clean pan and bring to boil and boil till juice reduces in quantity to about 1.5 litres (3 pints).  Reduce heat to low, add sugar and simmer till sugar has dissolved, stirring frequently.  Bring to boil and boil for further 5 minutes. Pour the syrup into clean, hot bottles, cover and process as for other syrups.  Once opened, rose hip syrup will not keep for more than one or two weeks so use small bottles.

This syrup is a good source of vitamin C and is particularly good for children and small babies (well diluted of course), as it is not too acid for their immature stomachs.

Pot Pourri means "rotten pot" - derived from the french verb pourrir  which means to ripen, to perish, to rot, the term used in English as early as 1611 for culinary purposes when describing a hotch potch or a mixture of various meats. In time the word became used for all kinds of mixes including dried flower petals and herbs.  Pot Pourri is now a common term for mixes of petals and spices stored in jars and bowls in the home.

People creat their own pot-pourri recipes to suit their tastes.  Too much spice is disliked by some, whilst others think too much orange/lemon rind is sharp.  In all cases, the basis is scented rose petals, and the damask roses are the best.  Pick roses just before they are in full bloom and after they are dry from the morning dew (if they are damp, they will encourage mildew in your mix). After stripping the petals place them on muslin or thin paper in the airing cupboard, or a cool/warm oven, turning them now and again.  The quicker they dry, the quicker the scent is sealed in.

Ingredients shown in this picture are dried rose petals, lavender flowers, flower petals, scented leaves, spices and orange/lemon peel.

RECIPE for Pot Pourri - which can be placed in open containers or used to fill sachets and pillows

*dried rose petals to form the bulk; * dried lavender flowers; * any other strong-smelling flower such as heliotrope, clove, carnations, honeysuckle; * scented leaves (no stems) - dried and crushed, such as mint, sage, fennel, lemon verbena, and scented geranium. * grated nutmet; * crushed cloves

* small amount of allspice (optional); * grated, dried orange and lemon peel.

Mix the ingredients together and let them rest, stirring occasionally, later. When the scents fade, a pot-pourri reviver can be bought and used, or a few drops of oil of roses or lavendar can be added.  When your supply of pot-pourri has been used up, start again, arying the ingredients to suit your taste.

Fragrant Garden Potpourri 1 cup dried rose petals,   1 cup dried lavendar buds ,   1 cup dried orange peel ,  1 cup dried rosemary,   1/2 cup dried hibiscus blooms, 1/2 cup whole cloves,  1/2 cup dried yellow yarrow heads. All ingredients must be dried completely.  In a nonmetal mixing bowl, stir all of the ingredients thoroughly with nonmetal mixing spoon.  Place the pot-pourri in a paper bag.  Roll up and close the top of bag, then shake contents well. Roll the excess air out of the bag and place it in a dark location.  Shake the bag once a day for a week; then shake it once a week for 5 weeks.  Remove the potpourri and display it in any attractive glass or plastic container. this recipe was found at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, in Pittsburgh, PA, USA when I was visiting there in October 1999.       ( www.phipps.conservatory.org   )