Of Roses and Syrup

The heat of summer is not welcome by my roses, but there are still some that are fresh and beautiful. Since the wild yellow-violets syrup was a success, I thought I would try some rose syrup as well. I gathered red, pink, and a few lavender blossoms to use in making rose water for syrup.

Most of the blossoms were usable, although I did eliminate some of the outside petals on some of the blossoms, as some of them were sunburned or browning. The centers and stems were removed and discarded.


A kettle of water was brought to a boil. Then I turned off the heat on the stove and gently added the petals and lidded them. They were allowed to cool and sit for about 12 hours. The essence was strong and fragrant after steeping in the water for this long. The water was strained from the petals into a large bowl. Then I strained the rose water again one last time, through a coffee filter this time. I wanted to make sure the water was clear and without fragments.


Then the fun began! Using a formula similar to the wild yellow-violets syrup recipe, I made the rose syrup and canned it for later use. The beautiful ruby red color looks so enticing! I think it will be fun to use in tea, served on fruit or cake, or as a topping for crepes. I decided to make the rose syrup more syrup-y than the wild yellow-rose syrup, so added more sugar to the recipe. It's so thick and yummy!


And since we are on the topic of roses, may I share a picture of my new roses cake plate? It was stuck on a bottom shelf with trays and bake-ware in a thrift shop. I found it earlier this week with a sticker that said 10 cents!


I don't really know if it's vintage or not, but if not, it's a good replica. It has a lever that when pushed starts the top rotating and a music box playing HAPPY BIRTHDAY! If anyone is familiar with cake plates like this and can share more information, I'm really interested!


After the rose syrup was done, I tried my hand at Rose Plum Jam. I'll share about that another day. I have lots of rose water remaining, so I've placed it in a plastic gallon jug and will be freezing it for inspiration and ideas for another day. How does Darjeeling Rose Jelly sound to you? Hmmmm. . . .