A Rosy Weekend

We drink a lot of tea in our family. The girls and I often drink it in the evening as we relax at the end of the day, but even the men in the family enjoy a cup now and then.  During winter cold season, it is a must-have at our house and we will often blend different herbs to help with different symptoms. 

We like to grow our own herbs and forage wild herbs for tea. That way we know that there are no chemicals or pesticides on our tea ingredients. Each year I try to add a few more plants to my knowledge base for teas, cooking, and medicinals. One of earliest plants I read about and also one of my favorites to forage are wild rose petals.  Since the wild roses in our area are blooming, the girls and I took the opportunity to pick petals to dry for tea.  We spent a bit of time picking and visiting, then returned to the house to prepare the petals for drying. Our oldest daughter wanted to make rose lemonade, so our youngest daughter and I washed, dried, and spread the petals out on dehydrator trays while she prepared the lemonade. We had just enough to fill the dehydrator and make a batch of rose lemonade. The petals shrink a lot as they dry, but they make a nice addition to our tea cabinet for the winter.

This year we will use most of the petals for tea, but we have used the petals for other things as well. In addition to lemonade, we have made rose oil that we used for homemade beauty products and salves. We have also made rose water and used it as a hair spray, facial refresher, and perfume.

As the dehydrator filled the house with the scent of roses, the girls and I headed to the porch to enjoy the lemonade and take in the fresh air. 

Do you have a favorite use for rose petals? Feel free to share in the comments.

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