The sensual, rich scent of roses has been known for ages to uplift the spirits and bring about a feeling of well being and has been cultivated as a perfume since as far back as the 17th century, although many believe it was used as a rosewater even earlier. Although many Indian and Persian dishes use rosewater in their recipes, many people don't often think to use rose and rose petals as an edible in their salads or as a tea. The petals impart a delicate flavor and steeping the roses in hot water makes a lovely tea that is believed to induce feelings of love. If you are hoping to preserve the more traditional "rosewater" taste and scent, steep the petals in cool water in the fridge for a few days. I find I have had better luck doing it that way than the steam-distillation which is tricky unless you have the proper equipment.
Roses have the following medicinal properties:
- Nervine (for depresssion and anxiety)
- Antispasmodic (Colic, cramps)
- Sedative
- Anti-inflammatory
I decided to use both my dried supply of petals from the summer as well as some fresh ones for a wild soda that I recently made. Wild soda (the way I make it anyway) is not an exact science and I didn't measure anything except for the sugar in this recipe. A wonderful book to pick up is Pascal Baudar's The Wildcrafting Brewer for an extensive list of recipes and beautiful pictures. The recipe I used was based on what I had frozen over from the summer garden and what I could pick in the woods around me.
Wild Soda "Recipe":
Pack a wide mouth quart sized mason jar with a mix of the following:
- black raspberries, blueberries, elderberries
-blue spruce branch pieces, juniper berries and branches and a few Douglas fir pine cones
- lots of rose petals
-pinch of mugwort and pinch of rosemary
-1/8 cup of white sugar
I filled with water that I boiled and then let cool to just a bit warmer than tepid and poured it over the mix, stirring the sugar to dissolve. That's it, from there you then stir every day, 2 to 3 times a day and cover in between with a cheecloth or coffee filter. The fruit and herbs start to produce wild yeast anywhere from 3-6 days, depending on the amount of sugar and the warmth of your house. You can see in the picture above the lovely bubbles that start to form. Once it has a bubbly top you can strain and pour into an air tight bottle to really let the pressure build and get a frothy head for 2-3 days at room temperature. To stop the fermentation, put the soda in the fridge.
This bottle did not really look as pressurized as it was once I opened it; do so slowly and over the sink. You can then drink straight or with a splash of lime juice and seltzer.
To complete le casse-croûte, have it with some radish, rose butter smothered onto a crusty, warm baguette. Just whip in a blender or food processor fresh radishes, rose petals, salt and butter for a pink tinged schmear. The rose is not just a rose by any other name.. Enjoy!
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