Rose Infused Honey - How To Make Rose Honey

The scent of roses is alluring but so is the flavor of the essence. With floral notes and even some citrus tones, especially in the hips, all parts of the flower can be used in medicine and food. Honey, with its natural sweetness, is only enhanced when combined with roses. How to make rose petal honey, you may wonder. Luckily, the process isn't difficult, and even a novice cook can follow an easy rose petal honey recipe. 

Tips on How to Make Rose Honey

Herbal preparations have been part of human history farther back than the oldest recordings. The use of plants as food, seasoning, and medicine is a time-honored tradition. Honey affords numerous benefits in each category, but when you make a rose petal-infused honey, you combine the flower's benefits with that of the sugary syrup. For a fun, delicious, and healthy option, learn how to make rose honey. 

If you are going to ingest something, make sure it is of the best quality. Select a wild honey or an organic variety. The former will have a wonderful flavor, while the latter is healthier than those that may have pesticides or herbicides in them. Avoid flavored honey, as this will mask the taste and aroma of the rose. Choose organic roses as well and remove the calyx, which is bitter. 

Make sure you wash the petals and hips well and allow them to air dry or place them on paper towels. You don't want overly wet flower parts which will be hard to chop up and become a slimy mess. You can also use dried petals to make your rose-infused honey. Ideally, you will need a food processor, but you can hand-chop your ingredients. There are two ways to make rose petal-infused honey. The first involves boiling water, while the second rose petal honey recipe is so simple anyone could make it. 

How to Make Rose Petal Honey the Easy Way

You will want to have room-temperature honey that is flowing fairly well. If there is room in the container, crush up dried leaves or add chopped rose parts directly into the honey jar. If there is not a lot of room, pour out the honey, mix in a bowl, and return to the jar. You will want a 2:1 ratio of rose parts to honey. It seems like a lot, but you will need to let the honey/rose mixture sit for a couple of weeks, so all the flavor of the roses gets into the honey. After a couple of weeks, use a strainer to remove all the rose parts. Store the rose-infused honey in a cool, dark location until use. 

Warmed Honey Recipe

Another way to make rose-infused honey is by heating the honey and steeping the rose parts. Warm the honey until it is nice and runny. Add the chopped rose petals or hips to the warm honey and stir. Let the items marry for several hours, stirring often to mix the rose with the honey. This process doesn't take as long as the room temperature preparation. Within a few hours, the honey is ready to use. You can either strain out the roses or leave them in for color and texture. Use it in tea, add to yogurt or oatmeal, drizzle on dessert, or best of all spread it on some hot, buttered toast.