Make Your Own Rose Petal Honey

 

On her last day in India, Gardenistacontributor, Maria had her first taste of rose petal honey. Back home, she couldn’t forget the taste—sensual, sublime, exotic, and familiar all at once, like India. Here, she shares her simple recipe to make your own. For the full story, go to DIY Rose Petal Honey on Gardenista.

Above: Virtually all roses are safe to eat; just make sure they’re organically grown (pesticide-free). From a friend’s rose garden, Maria picked a variety, washed and dried them, then placed petals from about six roses in a quart-size canning jar. She then poured 1 and a half pounds of local honey over the petals.

Above: You can experiment with the proportion of petals to honey, depending on how strong you want the infusion to taste.

Above: Maria recommends allowing the honey to steep for two weeks in a cupboard, turning the mixture every five days (as the petals tended to float to the top). Next, I strained out the petals in a colander, mashing the roses with a wooden spoon to wring out more honey. I poured the honey back into the jar; I use it on yogurt and scones, or as a condiment for cheese plates.

For more natural recipes and DIY inspiration, see Gardenista‘s posts Instant Summer Hammock and The Grow Bag, Beautified.