Hello everyone! I'm back bearing a very special gift!
I've been making my Rose Sugar for a few years, perfecting the drying techniques, spice mixing and petal combinations...which I've decided doesn't really matter, but more on this below.
Before we go on, please not that if you want to make your own rose sugar or dry rose petals for eating purposes, be sure to ONLY use roses that you are sure have not been touched by pesticides, herbicides, and even liquid fertilizer.
To that, please, only use roses you have grown yourself or from a trusted other.
Do not use roses from florists and other retailers as there's a good chance the rose farms have used chemicals on them.
With that said, let's get to it!
First, you have two drying techniques:
The longer method is letting the roses dry naturally.
After harvesting, give your roses a wash just to make sure they don't have any dirt or insects in the folds of the petals.
Shake off the water and place them in your drying container. Use something that has holes for ventilation like sieves, strainers, steamers, or may favourite, wire baskets.
Place your rose container in a cool, dry place with lots of air flow.
Make sure the container isn't too full, or else you might find mould on the petals under the pile.
To that last point, turn the petals regularly to ensure even drying.
It can take a few weeks for all the petals to dry depending on the amount of petals and the ambient temperature in your drying space.
The quicker method is to use your oven!
After harvesting, washing and shake-drying your petals, lay them out on a cookie tray lined with baking paper.
2. As above, try to give your petals ample space so they dry quicker.
3. I set my oven to 150C for 40 minutes (for a cold oven) to 30 minutes (for pre-heated). This is just a very loose ball-park. Keep an eye on the petals as they may need far fewer minutes to dry out; the petals don't need to brown, just crumble-dry.
A special note on rose petals:
As you (may) know, rose petals of different varieties are different from each other, so their drying times will also differ. Meaning, in my experience, the English Roses have thinner, more delicate petals, so drying them takes only a few minutes, to no longer than 20 if my cookie tray is full.
However, purple roses like Blue Moon & Charles De Gaulle have thicker petals and will take
a little longer to dry.
To that, I recommend to place different thicknesses of petals in their own batches for a more even drying, plus you can manage the amount of drying time.
Another thing is the colour combinations. I'm not too fussed over combining the petals into just one jar, but have considered making a jar of light coloured petals, one for darker petals and so on.
But, really, I think it doesn't really matter as their flavour and dry scent is all the same - a little nutty and rosy, of course!
Blitzing!
When you've dried your rose petals, blitz them in a blender to the consistency you want. Personally, as long as the particles won't catch in my throat while drinking my coffee, I'm good! But if you want yours to be practically powder, have at it!
Combining...
Now for the other ingredients!
I like using raw sugar, but you can use whatever type of sugar, of course. I also like adding some spices, which is also nice if you're making a seasonal batch. For example, cloves and nutmeg add a very Yuletide aroma to the sugar. Adding wattleseed adds a chocolaty taste and smell, and mint, well, you know what that adds! Side note: you can dry mint the exact same way.
Customise your spices to what you enjoy! The amounts of your add-ons is entirely up to you.
My usual formula is this:
2 kilo raw sugar
2 table spoons Rose Petals
1/4 tsp. Cloves (...because this spice has a very strong presence)
1/2 tsp. Nutmeg
1/2 tsp. Wattleseed
Note: the measurements aren't exact. You can play with the amounts as much as what appeals to.
Put them all in an air-tight container. I like re-using coffee jars as they are made to keep granulated food dry.
When you're ready, keep a secure hold on your jar or container and give it a good shake until all ingredients are well combined.
There will be a little settling of the rose petals between uses, so give the jar a shake before scooping some sugar into your coffee, tea or in anything you want some fragrant and unique tasting sugar!
Here's a short video! Enjoy making your rose sugar and tell me how you go!
💙 Aileen & Dodz
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