Roses, an herb to love in so many ways

“What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” Romeo and Juliet (II, ii 1-2)

I love roses. I grow them at every home I ever have. I always thought they were so hard to grow and maybe its where I live now, but they are like weeds. Pruning them properly helps alot and you can prune often and hard. But its not hard to do at all. What you want is an open stem area. That means any stems that might cross another, you cut out. You want them to branch out towards the outside, not towards the inside. Look along the stem where there are leaves and you will often see a nub. That's where the new growth will come in. Cut just above that but cut where the nub is on the outside not the inside of the stem. Otherwise the new growth will grow into the middle. You can cut pretty far down the stems too. But once you cut into old wood, you may not get any growth.

When I first started growing roses I put a row of all kinds that I researched right across the front of my porch. I had floribunda, hybrids and english roses, I picked out my favorites. The first year after they stopped blooming for winter, I hacked those back to about 6in. My daughter saw it and said mom you killed them. lol. The following spring there was so much growth I was able to prune them every two weeks and get armloads of flowers to bring inside. So pruning and shaping is important. And I actually found it to be fun, not a chore once I understood how much more I could grow by doing it.

Rose has always been a favorite fragrance of women. I often have potpourri around my house from my dried rose petals that I add essential oils too. And I love it in my soap and I even wear a rose perfume. (Evelyn by Crabtree and Evelyn). But rose is good for your skin too, especially older, mature skin. Altho Ive used it for yrs, its nice to know its better for me now that I'm older. I often by a rose hydrosol to add to the lotion I make for my skin. Rose absolute and essential oils tho are very expensive. It takes tons of roses to make just a lil bit of oil. If you do buy the oils be sure to buy ones that are not cut with cheaper oils. And if it is, make sure they do it with organic oils able to be used for skin. Many fragrance oils for the home and such are petroleum based and shouldn't be used on skin. Food grade or cosmetic grade is what you should be using on you.

Rosehips are good too. They are loaded with Vit. C. and because that used to be hard to come by, especially in the winter, many folks throughout time used it to make tea. One cup of fresh rose hips has the equivalent amount of vitamin C in 60 oranges.
Rose syrup
Use unsprayed roses. Pick early in the morning when they are most fragrant and only use fragrant ones. No perfume means no taste. Only use white sugar because anything else will change the color. Makes 12 cups

6 packed cups of rose petals
12 cups water
6 cups white sugar

1. In large bowls add rose petals, have a large heavy platter that fits over the bowl snugly.
2. Bring to a boil 12 cups of water and pour over rose petals and quickly cover with platter.
3. Set aside till water cools.
4. Strain water and discard petals.
5. Mix water and sugar in a large pot and bring to boil till sugar is dissolved. But do not boil, only heat water enough to dissolve sugar.
6. If the color is not to your liking, you can adjust it. Add food coloring. Keep refrigerated. Will last about 3 months in fridge. Or you may also can it for longer storage. Use it drizzled over fresh fruit, in custard, on pancakes with fresh berries, in iced tea.

Note: To make the syrup pink you can add 1/8 cup or 2 tbsp. lemon juice to each cup of rose infusion. It is fun to watch it turn pink before your eyes. The lemon juice may also act as a preservative and lengthen the shelf time.

Rose Petal Tea
1-1/2 cups rose petals
3 cups water
honey to taste
Choose fresh rose petals. Strip the flower gently under running water then place the petals in a saucepan. Cover with the water and boil for 5 minutes, or until the petals become discolored. Strain into teacups and add honey to taste. Serves 4.
Rose Petal Infused Champagne Vinegar
4 cup champagne vinegar
3 cup dried rose petals
1/2 cup dried rose petals
Preheat oven to 225 degrees F.
Combine vinegar and 3 cups petals in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Cover pan and put in oven for 2 hours. Remove from oven and cool.
Strain vinegar into a bottle.Add the 1/2 cup rose petals. Cap bottle and refrigerate. Use within 5 days. Makes 4 cups.

Rose Dusting Powder

Petals from 4 roses (medium size)
1 cup cornstarch
3 TBS baking soda
3 dried roses

1. In a small cardboard box, layer the petals and cornstarch. Fit the cover on but don’t seal tight, you want the contents to still have a bit of air. Leave for 24 to 36 hours.
2. Sift the petals from cornstarch then add the baking soda (you may have to sift a few times to remove all the petals). Mix well then split the powder mixture into two batches.
3. Next take the dried roses, remove the stem and leaves and add the rose heads (petals) to one half of the powder mixture. Pour into a blender and mix until the dried roses are finely ground.
4. Add the fine ground powder mixture to the other half of the powder mixture, use a wooden spoon to blend the powder by hand.
5. Pour the scented powder into a decorative box or shaker jar, allow to sit for a day before using.
Tips
If you prefer a stronger scented dusting powder, you can add another batch of fresh rose petals and allow the powder to sit another 24 hours (first sift out the first batch of rose petals).
* You can use lavender or other scented flowers instead of rose petals if you prefer.

I did this twice and sifted out the roses. I used my favorite Double Delight roses plus another one I dont recall the name of that was very fragrant. It makes a very nice light rose dusting powder, I love it.

Rosehips

I bought a pound of dried rosehips from an herb supplier. Ive had them in tea and like them so I thought Id like to have some on hand here. I have roses growing all the time on my property and have never done a thing with the hips. So since its winter and Im thinking of spring I thought Id like to gather a few recipes I would like to try using rosehips. Hopefully some of these will inspire you to use them too.

Rose Hips-

The rose hip and rose haw, is the pomaceous fruit of the rose plant, that typically is red-to-orange, but might be dark purple-to-black in some species. Contrary to the fairly common myth, rosehips are not poisonous.

Rose hips of some species, especially Rosa canina (Dog Rose) and R. majalis, have been used as a source of Vitamin C. Rose hips are commonly used as an herbal tea, often blended with hibiscus and as an oil. They can also be used to make jam, jelly, marmalade and wine. Rose hip soup, "nyponsoppa," is especially popular in Sweden. Rhodomel, a type of mead, is made with rose hips.

Some species of rose are sometimes referred to as rose hip, including Rosa canina (dog rose), R. rubiginosa, and R. moschata (Musk-rose)

Kodiak Rose Hip Tea

Rose hips give a fruity hint of floral flavor to lightly spiced hot tea. If you are so inclined, spike it with a bit of Grand Marnier for a delicious hot toddy.

* 1 tea bag
* 1 Tablespoon dried rose hips
* 3 to 4 whole cloves
* Sugar or honey to taste
* 1 cup boiling water

Preparation:
Steep tea bag, rose hips, and cloves in boiling water for five minutes. Remove hips and cloves. Reheat if desired. Sweeten to taste with sugar or honey. Yield: 1 serving

Drying Rose Hips and Rose Hips Puree

4 cups of rose hips

Preparation:
Just after a frost is the best time to gather rose hips. Snap off the tails as you pick,or later when you reach home. Spread the hips out on a clean surface and allow to dry partially. When the skins begin to feel dried and shriveled, split the hips and take out the large seeds -- all of them. If you let the hips dry too much, it will be difficult to remove the seeds. If not dry enough, the inside pulp will be sticky and cling to the seeds. After the seeds are removed, allow the hips to dry completely before storing or they will not keep well. Store in small, sealed plastic bags. These will keep indefinitely in the freezer or for several months in the refrigerator. They are packed with vitamin C and are good to munch on anytime you need extra energy...or a moderately sweet nutlike "candy."

Making Puree:
Use soft ripe rose hips (the riper they are, the sweeter they are). It takes about 4 cups of rose hips to make 2 cups of puree. Remove stalks and blossom ends. Rinse berries in cold water. Put them into a pan and add enough water to almost cover. Bring to a boil and simmer 10 to 15 minutes. Press through a sieve or strainer. All that does not go through the sieve is placed in the pan again. Add a little water, enough to almost cover, if you want a thicker puree, add slightly less. This time heat but do not boil so vigorously. This will dissolve a little more of the fruit so that it will go through the sieve. Press again and then repeat the process one more time. By now, most of the fruit should have gone through the sieve leaving only seeds and skin to discard.

Drying Puree or making "leather":
Line a cookie sheet, 12 by 17 inches, with plastic wrap. This size cookie sheet holds approximately 2 cups of puree. Spread puree or fruit leather evenly over the plastic but do not push it completely to the sides. Leave a bit of plastic showing for easy removal. Place on a card table or picnic table in the hot sun to dry. If the plastic is bigger than the cookie sheet and extends up the sides, anchor it with clothes pins so it will not flop down and cover the edges of the leather. Puree should dry in the sun six to eight hours.

Rose Hip Apple Sauce

* Apples
* Rose hip juice

Preparation:
Cook apples for making sauce in rose hip juice, or cook rose hips and apples together and puree them using a sieve or other straining device to remove the seeds. Proceed with standard applesauce recipe.

Rose Hip Crumble Pie

* Pastry for single-crust 9-lnch pie
* 1 cup dried rose hips
* 1/4 cup milk
* 1-1/2 cups sifted flour
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* Dash of salt
* 1/2 cup shortening
* 1-3/4 cups brown sugar
* 2 egg yolks, beaten
* 2 egg whites
* Pecan halves (optional)

Preparation:
Prepare pastry and line a pie pan. Soften rose hips in milk.
Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Cream in shortening and brown sugar, mixing well. This makes a crumbly mixture - reserve 1 cup for topping. To the remainder add the egg yolks, milk and rose hips. Beat the egg whites until peaks hold form. Fold into the berry mixture. Spoon into pie pan and sprinkle with the crumbly topping. Garnish with pecan halves, too, if you wish.

Bake at 350 degrees F. (175 degrees C.) for 35 to 45 minutes or until pie appears well done. Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Rosehip Jelly

* 4 quarts ripe rose hips
* 2 quarts water
* 1 package pectin crystals
* 5 cups sugar
* 1/2 cup lemon juice

Preparation:
Simmer rose hips in water until soft. Crush to mash, and strain through a jelly bag. Should make about 4 cups of rose hip juice.

Add to juice, lemon juice and pectin crystals and stir until mixture comes to a hard boil. Stir sugar in at once. Bring to a full rolling boil and boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove jelly from heat and skim off foam with metal spoon. Pour jelly into hot sterilized jars. Yield: about 5 cups

Rose Hip Nut Bread

* Juice of 1 orange plus water to make 1 cup
* 1/2 cup chopped raisins
* 3/4 cup seeded and chopped wild rose hips
* 2 Tablespoons melted butter
* 1 teaspoon vanilla
* 1 egg, beaten
* 1-1/2 cups flour
* 1 cup sugar
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 cup nuts or sunflower seeds

Preparation:
In a large bowl, mix the orange juice, raisins, rose hips, butter, vanilla, and egg. Sift together and then add the dry ingredients. Mix until well blended but do not overmix or bread will be dry and heavy. Gently stir in nuts or sunflower seeds. Spoon batter into a well-greased 5 x 8-inch loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees F. ( 175 degrees C.) for one hour. Yield: 1 loaf

Rose Hip Soup

* 1 quart rose hip juice or puree (fresh or canned)
* 2 to 4 Tablespoons honey
* 1 to 3 Tablespoons lemon juice or homemade cider vinegar, optional (Omit if using canned juice or puree.)
* 1 Tablespoon potato starch, cornstarch, or tapioca granules
* 6 (about) Tablespoons sour cream or yogurt, optional

Preparation:
Heat the rose hips juice or puree, honey, and lemon juice or vinegar. Adjust amounts of honey and lemon juice or vinegar to give a lively sweet tart flavor.

Mix the starch or tapioca in enough cold water to moisten it, and stir it in. Cook till the soup thickens slightly and clears. Float a spoon of sour cream or yogurt in each bowl of soup when it is served. Yield: 5 to 6 medium bowls

Variations
Using Dried Rose Hips:
Soak l/2 cup dried rose hips in a quart of water for a few minutes, then cook till soft. Mash with a fork and strain, reserving liquid. Add another cup of water to the pulp. heat to a boil, then strain. Combine the juice from both strainings and use for making the soup.

Rose Hip Pudding:
Add honey to taste, and increase starch or tapioca to 5-6 tablespoons. After it has thickened pour the pudding into individual dishes or into a serving dish to cool. The flavor is brisk and very fruity.

Rose Hip Syrup

* 4 cups rose hips
* 2 cups water
* 1 cup sugar

Preparation:
Wash rose hips thoroughly. Remove stems and flower remnants. Boil hips and water for 20 minutes in a covered saucepan. Strain through a jelly bag. Return clear juice to kettle. Add sugar. stir well and boil five minutes. Refrigerate until used.