It’s rose water season! Can you get your hands on some fragrant rose petals? If yes, then you can make some amazing rose water that you can use as perfume or the magic ingredient in nougat, baklava, Portugal cake, or any other European pre-vanilla-era recipe.
We collected our petals from roses in our local park where we simply collected some fallen petals.
The ancient Persians, Greeks, and Romans used rose water in their kitchens, for rituals, and in cosmetics. Here’s how to make rose water in six easy steps:
1. Separate the petals and remove green leaves, bugs, and the like.
2. Place the petals in a pan in with 1 inch of water.
3. Place a heat-resistant bowl on top of the petals.
4. Place a lid on top of the pan and fill it with ice cubes. For some pots, it may work better with the lid upside down.
5. Set the pan on the stove and simmer until the ice cubes melt.
6. Carefully remove the lid so none of the melt water spills in, and collect your rose water from the bowl.
How this works: The rose essence disperses in the boiling water, which then vaporizes, rises, and liquefies again when it hits the cold lid. Then the rose water droplets fall into the bowl.
And just in case you were wondering what Portugal cake is, it’s a dessert made with almond flour, eggs, and rose water, and was The Cake in the Western world before white flour and vanilla became fashionable.
