I love the smell of roses. As a child I tried to make rose perfume as a present for my Mum's birthday. I systematically picked the most fragrant rose petals to be found in her garden & carefully added them to a jam jar of tap water. Two weeks later there was a jar of yellowish, scummy, not so fragrant 'perfume'. I don't really recall my Mum's reaction! (
This is what I should have done...)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuLS8Q0BF-SoLsq86tF0RROo3n-XHyMiWrpJYaQoHOjOzRe_DPLmwSzx6LFM1-_b-wnXhG9XmqGMnrFLg_FT9ENp3HGSjzmionHSzK9pPlB2qReH32j8HTf5NdWKuXi1k_ZslE-Uag3v0u/s400/yellow+rose+oct+2011.JPG) |
A very confused rose in our chilly October garden... |
On the whole, rose perfumed products tend to smell fake to me. The intense smell of essential rose oil is amazing but the prices put me off. I think that the next best thing is rose water. It is a by-product from the essential oil process, it's
much cheaper & it smells wonderful!
I get my rose water from the shop at the end of the road. It's about £2-£3 for 330ml. I use it in lots of different ways. Here are my top ten...
10. Added to meringues (replace 1 egg white with 1 teaspoon rosewater & 1 teaspoon water)
9. Folded into whipped cream (really good with strawberries)
8. Sometimes I splosh it into the ironing water (only for my clothes- Mr TH isn't as keen!)
7. Add it to smoothies (no recipe here, just whatever potential is lurking in the fridge/freezer)
6. I add it to white wine & soda (it's also good with fizzy water & cucumber)
5. On a really hot day add a few cap fulls to a small spray dispenser & use as a facial spray (or the rest of the year as a toner- add a bit of Witch hazel too if wanted)
4. For decadence a few cap fulls in a warm bath is wonderful (sometimes I do a 'Cleopatra' & add a paste of water & milk powder too)
3. I put about 2-3 teaspoons of rose water & the same of honey on about 6-8 sticks of chopped rhubarb to roast it (the combination is so good that I can no longer cook rhubarb any other way)
2. If I want an instant smile or pick-me-up, I unscrew the cap & just inhale...
1. My most regular use of rose water is to mix with a teaspoon of ground almonds to make a facial scrub. I think it's much better than commercial scrubs because it isn't too abrasive, it moisturises your skin, it smells wonderful, I know exactly what's in it & it tastes good too.
Even with all these uses, a bottle tends to last me about 4-6 months.
This winter I'm going to try making Turkish Delight flavoured with rose water. I have the recipe ready & fully intend to get started one cold, damp evening.
What do you use rose water for?