A rose by any other name
My mother, many years ago, planted a lovely rose bush that you would only know is a rose bush because of the way it smells. Most roses you buy from florists smell like.. well..not roses. They look lovely, sure.. but smell like ass.. you know it.. I know it… but no one will admit it.
When I moved to Albany, one of the first things I did was put in a rose bush in the front yard.
It promptly took over.
Seriously, it grows like mad. Two years ago I cut this sucker down to 6 inch stumps. No Lie. My neighbor was so upset she came running out of her front down screaming “WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” I told her to not worry… it would be back.. and it was. I think it liked it.
The roses from this bush are so simple and lovely
They are also incredibly fragrant.. I usually let them go until they are just about done blooming.. and then I harvest the petals. If I feel ambitious, I harvest the hips in a few months too.. but to tell the truth? My dog eats them right off the bush..
Why would I want a jar of petals? for Jelly of course.
I know .. I know.. it sounds really really weird.. and I admit, it’s an acquired taste.. but on some scones? Man you are gonna feel like the Queen… so stupidly elegant that it’s ridiculous.
I first stumbled upon the idea of Rose Petal Jelly in my Herbal Treasures a few ok 20 years ago
I have done other things with the petals.. I’ve made beads… and that was cool.. and messy. But now I just make jelly in tiny jars and give it away.. and watch people’s expressions go from “What the fuck am I eating?” to “woah.. this is kinda wild” to “Ick I hate it” OR “OMG Divine!”
I can’t begin to describe the taste.. it’s .. well.. Rosey.
If you want to try some, you could make your own. It’s simple enough if you are into canning.. but you need organically grown roses which means you need to grow them yourself… and they need to be roses that don’t smell like ass.
But, if you don’t want to make your own, I’m planning on bringing a few jars to the next From Scratch Club Food Swap
I’ve heard of rose petal jelly, but I’ve never tried it. Maybe I will
Have one heavily scented old rose, look forward to making this in the spring! Thanks!
It’s definitely an acquired taste but it’s really lovely if you like it