Making Tincture of Roses...

[badgerpup]

I didn't mean for it to get this detailed, honest...:blush:

FIRST:
Find somebody who grows roses as organically as possible...preferably the strongly scented and colored ones.
The long-stem varieties you see sold in stores are useless for this...
1: They're bred strictly for appearance and scent is an afterthought, if that...
2). They're full of pesticides and growth hormones and GOK what else.
DO NOT WANT

Tincture of Roses is something that's going to be consumed, so consider the rose bushes as you would herbs...you don't want those plants full of systemics, pesticides, fungicides, growth hormones either.

You're looking for #1. SCENT (this will provide the flavor) and
#2. color...although this isn't as important.

English roses, gallic roses, ‘old’ roses, species roses are your best bets...and remember, we aren’t going for appearance. Follow your nose. Not all roses have a ‘rose’ scent either...the range is amazing, including stuff like citrus, berries, spice, myrrh...but that’s OK.
You want them.

Stuff you’ll need:
Wide-mouth quart jars with well-fitting lids (NOT canning jars- the jars in which the various kinds of spaghetti sauce are sold are the sort of thing you’re looking for.)
A fifth of Everclear (yep, the 200-proof grain alcohol) You may need more alcohol later. If Everclear is too spendy, use high-octane vodka...but start the process with the Everclear.
Straining bag (a sparging bag or jelly bag works well. So does cheesecloth or in a pinch, a clean cotton dishtowel that isn’t all Downy’d and softened. You don’t want any extraneous stuff in the fabric that could interfere with your tincture, is what I’m on about. Think CSI...)
LOTS and lots...and lots...of roses.

Best time to gather ye roses is when they’ve fully opened, and early in the morning before the sun really goes to work.
Separate them from the stem, wash and rinse carefully with an organic (non-detergent) soap...
you'll probably have some bugs hiding (and doing rude bug-things) in the petals, and you don’t want those.
Toss the petals in a colander to get rid of as much excess moisture as you can*, then start filling the jar(s) with petals. When it’s full (slighlty packed, but not crammed solid), pour the Everclear into the jar over the petals, cap tightly, and shake. Ideally, the petals should be submerged.
Let this stand until the liquid has turned dark red and all the color has leached out of the petals. This will take a few days, but don't worry if you get busy, and have to let it go longer. It won't hurt it, believe me...as long as the jar is tightly and securely capped.

Decant the liquid into a clean quart jar, and put the petals into whatever you’re using for straining/draining. Now, you’re going to squeeze, crush, and otherwise pressurize those poor leached petals until there isn’t a drop left to come out of them. The result goes in with the stuff you just decanted.

Repeat the process, only this time you’re going to use the rosy Everclear over the fresh petals. If there's not enough liquid, add some more alcohol- either Everclear or vodka.
Do this about five times...or as long as the roses keep coming.

Your result will NOT smell like roses after the first couple repetitions...until you dilute it.
Then you’ll have a powerful rose bouquet and, believe it or not, a recognizable taste.

Small bottles (pint, half-pint, or smaller) make for better storage than jars. Refrigerate, and the tincture will ‘clear’ a bit...stuff will settle to the bottom. Decant carefully, pour it off into clean bottles and TADA! You have your very own tincture of rose...so rich, clear, and dark that rubies are jealous. Decanted into pretty little bottles (that can close tightly), it makes a wonderful gift for the knowledgeable cook/chef/herbalist in your life.
It is very evanescent and volatile however...so don’t cook it; add it afterwards.
I’ve used this not only to flavor wine, but in tea, other beverages (a tiny dab’ll do ya) salad dressings...
and baths! :bounce:

* You can also use dehydrated rose petals for this. Use the lowest setting on the dehydrator.

[wildflower]

1. I was reading in an old cookbook once

about how they used to use rosewater as their standard flavoring, the way we use vanilla or lemon today. I thought it would be neat to make some sometime. Thank you for this!

[Lucinda]

2. I used to use flowers in cooking a lot. I still like marigold in salads.

Thanks for this. I'm thinking teas and salad dressings...

[The empressof all]

3. I love battered and deep fried zucchini flowers

Nasturtiums are my go to flowers though. I always throw them in my salads for their peppery flavor.

[Lucinda]

4. Marigolds are peppery too. Nasturtiums are sooo beautiful in salads..

I haven't grown any in years. I think I might order some seeds.
I grow marigolds with my tomatoes. And they dry beautifully.

Do you stuff the zucchini flowers?

[The empressof all]

5. I have stuffed them

I use a stuffing mix of Progresso Italian Bread crumbs and my pesto spread. (Process lots of basil, with some garlic, EVOO then process some more with a block of cream cheese and a stick of butter) It's more of a creamy filling than bready. I stuff the blossonms then get them very very cold to make the filling as hard as possible or it will leak out in the frying.

[Lucinda]

6. That sounds really, really, really good!

I want some now. :)

I love basil. I'm longing for caprese salad and fresh pesto on ravioli. I think thats why i'm making so many salads. LOL

[The empressof all]

7. I make these several times a week in the summer

I even grow an extra plant just for the flowers. Even though I pick and pick I still always get zuchinnis. Shrug. I try to pick with the little zuchinni on the end so the flower has a little handle. The filling is very forgiving. I've used goat cheese, laughing cow cheese ----really any creamy cheese that gets hard when it gets cold. Then the trick is to fry quickly... and have everybody ready to eat or you'll have to eat them all by yourself.

[Lucinda]

8. I think i'll try and make room for them this year. Our garden space is tiny, so we have to

plan carefully. But I think zucchini may make the cut! :) We like baby zucchini in stirfry, and the flowers would be an extra bonus.

I like the cream cheese idea a lot. I think i'll start with that and then experiment from there.

[badgerpup]

9. Most beautiful salad I ever saw...

...was at a SCA feast...all medieval and that.

It had pansies and marigolds (the small red-and-yellow ones) along with the more usual 'mesclun mix' and it was stunning visually.

Believe it or not, the children at the feast snarfed it down like there was no tomorrow...
the idea of eating flowers in the salad pleased them immensely.
They did leave some for the adults...

[Lucinda]

10. I bet it was gorgeous with the mesclun mix. Funny about the kids! They can be hard to predict. LOL

These two look good - who wouldn't want to dig in to these!