One of the English names for Rosa x centifolia is the cabbage rose. With all due respect, it does not reflect the old-fashioned charm of this very old rose which has been in cultivation for centuries now. But it does reflect the overall shape of the flower which resembles ... a cabbage but wonderfully scented with rose oil. There are a lot of cultivars of the hundred petaled rose ( a literary translation of its Latin name), mostly pink or magenta in colour. They bloom only once a year producing a profusion of flowers and the time is just now. After having enjoyed the perfume of the fragrant flowers we can put them to good use making rose petals in sugar.
What do we do? First we need to pick a lot of rose petals as possible as they shrink while mixing with sugar. By 'a lot' a mean at least two or three liters (about four or six pints) in order to produce a liter (two pints) of the final product. The best time for rose petals picking is on a sunny day because it is easier to collect dry petals and separate the occasional living creatures that might be residing among them. Choose flowers whose stamens are still yellow. Now, all collected flowers (do not wash them!) must be mixed with coarse white sugar (about 0.5-0. 75 kg) in a deep ceramic bowl. At first the mixing seems impossible to be done but start crashing the petals with a wooden pestle rubbing the mixture against the bowl . After a few impossible trials the moisture from the crashed petals starts to help dissolve the sugar and soon we get a nice fragrant pulp with still visible fragments of rose petals. That is all. Now fill a glass jar with the pulp, twist firmly and put into the fridge, where the rose preserve retains its aroma and color better. The color will lose its purple tint with time but it does not impair the quality at all.
Some may ask why not use the electric blender. It is too efficient and I think, the rose oil preserves better in bigger fragments of the crushed petals which can always be blended later preparing desserts, drinks, cakes, whatever. My advice is: do not overdose. Some people find the smell of rose oil too strong for their liking. In this case less is more and more is less.
Rose petals are great to prepare a home made liquor. I will share the recipe soon, I promise.
Some may ask why not use the electric blender. It is too efficient and I think, the rose oil preserves better in bigger fragments of the crushed petals which can always be blended later preparing desserts, drinks, cakes, whatever. My advice is: do not overdose. Some people find the smell of rose oil too strong for their liking. In this case less is more and more is less.
Rose petals are great to prepare a home made liquor. I will share the recipe soon, I promise.
Jarek
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