Roses remind me of my grandmother. On her farm in Pennsylvania she had a huge wild rose bush that stood near the creek that ran behind the house.
But this year I read a site that talked about making rose petal tea. I never heard of that before, and it fascinated me. Especially since I don't put any pesticides on my roses, I thought I'd give it a try. Here are the results of my research this summer on doing that and a few other things.
Getting Roses Ready for Drying
The Herb Gardner blog has some great tips to help with this process:
1. Make sure the roses that you dry are pesticide free.
2. Pick fully mature blooms (so that your tea will have a better flavor) in mid morning when the dew has dried.
3. What's Cooking America adds that you should clip and discard the bitter white bases from the rose petals.
4. When you're drying the roses, they shouldn't become tan, they should still retain some color.
Making Rose Tea
The Herb Gardner and Yahoo Answers both suggested mixing in bulk 1/4 cup of dried rose petals with 1 cup of black tea like oolong or breakfast tea. You can also use just the plain petals for a milder tea. Use 1 t of tea to 1 cup of hot water and steep for 5 minutes.
Live Strong notes that rose tea and rose hip tea have these health benefits:
Listen to what they say this tea does in the body:
1. Soothes a sore throat
2. Good for the digestive tract
3. Flushes out toxins
4. Kills bacteria in the intestines
5. Eliminates waste from the kidneys and thus increases blood circulation
6. Helps gastric troubles
7. Heals urinary infections
8. Good for women's cramps
9. Uplifts mood
Blog Update July 16, 2014: For the past few years I have also added dried rose petals to a mix of different herbs (peppermint, spearmint, lemon balm, feverfew, basil, oregano, rosemary, lavender and calendula flowers) that makes a good tea to have around for the cold and flu season.
Rose oil
I bought my first rose oil at a co-op. Here's what I have found out that rose oil is good for:
1. Antiseptic properties to cleanse wounds2. Rub onto the stomach to help relieve any upset stomach.
3. Moisturizing and protects skin from sun damage because high in Vitamin C.
4. Relaxes the mind and body.
5. Soothes eczema.
6. Helps heal abrasions and burns.
Blog update July 16, 2014: Today I looked up how to make rose oil. I found an excellent website called Wildly Natural Skin Care, and Michelle also provides on her page a video of how to make it using the cold infusion method. Check her site for complete instructions!
She suggests drying the petals out for 12-24 hours on a rack that gives air circulation before pouring oil over them.
Making Old Fashioned Rose Water
Rose water is good for any type of skin. I remember my grandmother splashing it on her face. I got these directions from a site a few years ago, and sorry that I didn't write it down. If you're interested in making this, you can check out a few websites like I always do before I start a project.
Directions:
1. Fill the bottom of an enamel pot with a 1 cup of rose petals. Pour 2 cups of boiled distilled water over the petals until they are just covered.
2. Cover and let the rose petals steep for an hour.
3. Strain and squeeze out the liquid from the rose petals, this is your rosewater.
4. Refrigerate in a sterilized jar.
Note: Shelf life differed from on the sites I checked some several days to a year.
Uses:
1. Put a cloth dipped in rose water on your forehead if you have a fever.
2. Check Health & Soul's website for other uses on the skin.
3. Mix 1 part witch hazel with 10 parts rose water to make a skin toner.
Note: I grow and dry herbs as a gardening project. Be sure to check with a medical professional if you are pregnant, on medication or have any questions or concerns.
Other Blogs on Making Herbal or Flower Teas:
How to Dry Herbs to Make Your Own Herbal Teas
How to Brew a Cup of Medicinal Herb Tea
How to Make Your Own Lavender Oil & Tea
How To Dry Roses & Make Your Own Rose Tea, Rose Oil & Rose Water
How to Make Calendula Tea, Calendula Oil & Salve
More on How to Make Your Own Herbal Teas & Peppermint Oil
How To Make Your Own Strawberry Leaf Tea
Did You Know That Salad Burnet Can be Made into Tea?
Make Your Own Home Made Remedies - What Can You Do With the Feverfew in Your Garden?
About Making Your Own Spices:
How to Dry Herbs to Spice Up Your Cooking
Other Things You Can Do with Herbs:
How To Dry Roses & Make Your Own Rose Tea, Rose Oil & Rose Water
How to Make Calendula Tea, Calendula Oil & Salve
More on How to Make Your Own Herbal Teas & Peppermint Oil
Grandma's Recipe for Dandelion Honey
I can't wait to try some out! I've really enjoyed the mint and lemon balm teas that you gave. Thank you so much :)
ReplyDeleteKen, I'm glad you liked the mint and lemon balm teas. This morning our Chinese student and I both had a cup of rose tea, and it was nice.
ReplyDeleteThanks very interesting blog!
ReplyDelete