This is an excerpt from the All About Rose booklet featured as the bonus for the Summer Vol 3 | Issue 9 | 2024 edition of Botanical Anthology. Our herbal magazine, featuring remedies, recipes and projects with plants for the spring season, can be purchased as a digital version here and as a printed version here.
Rose Honey
The delicate flavor and scent of rose is beautifully captured and preserved in honey. Rose petals nourish the heart, nerves and skin. They invoke feelings of love and intimacy. Honey preserves the petals and extracts the water soluble properties of the flowers, due to its hydrophilic (water attracting) nature.
Any species of rose petals can be infused in honey. Petals with a sweet scent are ideal. Petals with no scent are relatively pointless as they will not have much flavor. Never use roses from florists because they have most likely been sprayed with pesticides. The best roses to use are Rosa rugosa, which are found growing wild along oceansides or easily grown in gardens.
Rose honey can be added to hot water, bubbly water, cocktails, baked goods, spread on toast, enjoyed by the spoonful, and included in your skin care regimen.
To make rose honey tea, add a spoonful of rose-infused honey, including the petals, to a mug of hot water, stir, cover and steep for 5-10 minutes.
To make a mask that nourishes and softens the face, combine a spoonful of rose petal honey, with the petals included, a splash of rose water and a small amount of French green clay powder together until a light paste forms. Apply to your face, wait 10 minutes or more before rinsing off with warm water.
There is no need to strain the rose petals, unless you prefer to, even if you’ve let it steep for some time. The petals can be eaten, added to honey or applied to the face along with the honey.
Materials
4 oz rose petals, fresh
4 oz honey, pourable
Method
Harvest rose petals.
Lightly pack them into a 4 ounce jar.
Fill the jar with honey, stirring with a chopstick, to fully coat and cover the petals.
Cover the jar with a lid and allow the honey to macerate for at least 4 weeks.
Notes
The honey will thin as it pulls water from the petals. If the honey is extra thin, refrigerate it to keep fresh.
Brighid is a mother, gardener, herbalist, educator, podcaster, and author living on a bridged island in Maine. She is founder of The Solidago Herb School, The Healthy Herb Podcast, and author of Drinkable Healing Herbal Infusions. Connect with her @solidagoherbschool on instagram and Facebook and solidagoherbschool.com.
A plant lover’s dream, Botanical Anthology is a seasonal, plant centered quarterly print and digital magazine presenting inspiration to incorporate herbs in your apothecary, kitchen, foraging and gardening, crafts, celebrations, and more. Brought to you by the folks of Plant Wonder Collective, each edition launches at the start of a new season and features the work of over 40 creative, knowledgeable contributors. To learn more, visit www.plantwondercollective.com and follow along on Instagram @plantwondercollective for daily inspiration of their plant of the month.
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