Roses aren’t just beautiful, they taste good too! Turn your backyard roses into a flavored syrup.

I’ve mentioned this before, but it has been a challenging garden year here in the Northwest. Drought, heat, and low irrigation water don’t add up to a lush garden.

So I have been foraging a bit more than usual this summer. No, I don’t roam throughout the hills hunting for delicacies – I am too afraid of snakes for that!

Backyard Foraging

I simply go into my back yard. The purslane, dandelions, and plantain all are growing. The borage continues to flower and strawberries that were planted and abandoned ages ago still give up ripe berries. The roses aren’t exactly prolific this year, but the flowers that manage to bloom are more fragrant than usual.

In the past I have made rose petal preserves and dried rose petals for tea. But this was the first time making rose petal syrup. For inspiration I once again turned to Linda Zeidrich and her fantastic book; The Joy of Jams, Jellies, and Other Sweet Preserves.

Edible Roses

Although the best edible roses are Rosa damascena and Rosa rugosa, I have had good luck using grafted tea or floribunda roses. So you can try just about any kind of rose, but – only use roses that have not been sprayed with pesticides!

Red roses will result in the most beautiful syrup, but pink roses work as well. I personally used a combination of fuschia, pink, orange and yellow roses, because that is what grows in my backyard.

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Make Your Own Rose Syrup

You'll find all kinds of uses for this delicious homemade rose syrup. Find the original recipe in The Joy of Jams, Jellies and Other Sweet Preserves

Author: Renee Pottle

Recipe type: Dessert

Prep time:  15 mins

Cook time:  30 mins

Total time:  45 mins

Ingredients

• 6 cups rose petals
• 3½ cups water
• about 2¾ cups sugar

Instructions

1. Combine rose petals and water in a large saucepan. Heat to medium, submerging petals when the water is hot.
2. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Strain through a jelly bag. Discard the rose petals. Measure the volume of liquid.
4. Add and equal amount of sugar to the liquid in the saucepan. Heat over medium heat until sugar is dissolved.
5. Bring syrup to a boil.
6. Remove pan from heat. Cool. Store in a capped bottle in the refrigerator.

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Uses for Rose Syrup

• Add to sparkling water
• Make a unique Martini or Daiquiri
• Drizzle over pound cake or ice cream
• Use instead of juice in a cake or cookie recipe
• Make homemade rose ice cream
• Spoon over cut watermelon or peaches
• Use in homemade candies

How to Store Rose Syrup

The syrup will keep in the refrigerator for a month or so. For longer storage, pour syrup into ice cube trays and freeze. Keep in a zip top bag and thaw as needed.

Do you make rose or other flower-flavored syrup? How do you use it?