SRW Tip#13: Roses as Herbs
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- WilliamG
- Mark_Whitelaw
- WilliamG
- Mark_Whitelaw
- WilliamG
- WilliamG
- Mark_Whitelaw
- WilliamG
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» WilliamG - I am putting the message in this discussion! I was very pleased
I am putting the message in this discussion!I was very pleased with the possibilities and was wondering if there were culinary or to some
extent medicinal uses for the white fragrant
roses. You had mentioned that Sombrieul was a very good rose that would do well in Houston. It is a fine antique but the blooms appear to be white. Does it have the diuretic nature you warned against? Also, does it matter what color the roses are when you are gathering rosepetals to make rosewater? Also, what effect does the color of the petals have regarding making vinegar as you have in your recipe or even the Roseye of Fysshe? I am trying to expand the possibilities of cultivars used as herbs.
William Groth
-- posted by WilliamG
» Mark_Whitelaw - William, I know of no special properties, culinary or otherwi
William,I know of no special properties, culinary or otherwise, assigned to white roses alone. They appear to have a diuretic effect when used in recipes such as rosewater or rose syrup. (Don't ask me why because I don't know. {sigh})
Yes, 'Sombreuil' is a white. IMHO, it has no real use in an edible garden, but is a magnificent Tea for a color garden in which white is used as an accent. It is excellent pillared, trained into a climbing form, or left to a large weeping form.
RE rosewater: I would suggest you limit your selection to pinks. This is to ensure a rosy pink color to the rosewater, vinegars and syrups. In the summer and early fall, when bloom color is not as strong in our southern gardens, you might add a red or two to the mix just to darken the mixture's color. But I would definitely not use white for reasons mentioned above, nor yellows or oranges because they will add a brown tint to the rosewater or syrup.
The same applies to vinegars, except that if you use a dark red rose to make the vinegar, it may turn the vinegar a burgundy purple color. This might be fun for Easter egg coloring, but something I don't prefer in a salad dressing or sauces like roseye.
MarkW>Ft. Worth, TX/Zn 7b, Rose Garden
-- posted by Mark_Whitelaw
» WilliamG - Mark, the only problem with yellow and orange roses is it provid
Mark, the only problem with yellow and orange roses is it provides a brown cast to the vinegar or rosewater or surup? If you are putting using these to baste a meat or fish dish would it be that bad as in many cases we cook things to a nice golden brown? In light of that, are there any yellow or orange flowers which could be considered as fragrant and flavorful as the ones listed in your articles. (I have 3 of the 11 you have listed!)William Groth, Houston TX, zone 9a Upper Texas Gulf Coast
-- posted by WilliamG
» Mark_Whitelaw - William, Of course, you can choose to use any rose (except ma
William,Of course, you can choose to use any rose (except maybe whites) to make your rosewater, et al. It's only my preference that rosewater be "rose-colored" - most commonly a pink.
There is a apricot blend Hybrid Musk you may be interested in. It's called 'Buff Beauty.' <img src="http://www.markw.com/images/bbeauty.jpg" align="right" Alt="'Buff Beauty' (c. M. Whitelaw)">Although it tends to get a dash of blackspot in my garden, I plant it among low-growing daylilies which approximate its bloom color; thus making it easy to forgive some of its shortcomings. It is very fragrant and rated by the ARS rosarians who grow it at 8.1 ("excellent").
MarkW>Ft. Worth, TX/Zn 7b, Rose Garden
-- posted by Mark_Whitelaw
» WilliamG - I will look at other colors for culinary roses and experiment t
I will look at other colors for culinary rosesand experiment then get back to you. It may take awhile because in order to experiment you have to have rose bushes with blooms ;-) Well
Duh!! I am also going to check with local rosarians and see if anyone has come up with a rose that does well in Houston and provides good hips for cooking!!
William Groth, Houston TX, zone 9a, Upper Texas Gulf Coast
-- posted by WilliamG
» WilliamG - Well, now that the Spring has sprung, Summer has absolutely swel
Well, now that the Spring has sprung, Summer has absolutely sweltered and it is approaching the cooler days (???) of fall. I will probably start harvesting some blooms for my rose tarragon vinegar. I will probably use 'Belinda's Dream', 'Katy Road Pink', 'Louis-Philippe' and 'Cramoisi Superieur' as they really take off this fall. My question is just how do I go about accumulating a boatload of blooms so that I have adequate petals for the vinegar. I am going to make more than just a litre at a time I think. Is there anyway to "store" rose petals so as to accumulate and use them for culinary purposes later as my supply increases?Also, if the hips on the Dortmund which were left on there since April/May have not yet ripened, should I give up on their ever ripening here in the Heat and Humidity of Houston, TX??
William Groth, Houston TX,
USDA zone 9a Upper Texas Gulf Coast
Budding Rosarian (actually a HARJ), Herbophile,
Gardener and Avid Aquarist, Enophile and Genealogist
-- posted by WilliamG
» Mark_Whitelaw - William, Storing rose leaves for this purpose is very difficu
William,Storing rose leaves for this purpose is very difficult. The attar volatilizes very quickly, therefore losing its value as an herb.
One cup of petals equals only about 2 large, full-blossomed roses; hence, my earlier comments about needing too many miniatures to provide the necessary ingredients.
Suggest you make several smaller batches of vinegar rather than one large batch, using the roses as they mature.
BTW, I have found the summer/fall rose vinegar will be a lighter color and fragrance than a spring batch.
RE your rose hips: I think it's still a bit early to give up on your rose hips. Suggest you wait until October or November when the temperatures *really* cool. Even a light frost (if one exists in Houston) won't hurt the hips.
MarkW>Ft. Worth, TX/Zn 7b, Rose Garden
-- posted by Mark_Whitelaw
» WilliamG - I guess since the hips are already there, might as well leave th
I guess since the hips are already there, might as well leave them there. It is growing well up the trellis and we are getting more blooms from the Dortmund. I will try to keep to smaller batches on the rose tarragon vinegar so as to make it that much more rare and valuable.William Groth, Houston TX,
USDA zone 9a Upper Texas Gulf Coast
Budding Rosarian (actually a HARJ), Herbophile,
Gardener and Avid Aquarist, Enophile and Genealogist
-- posted by WilliamG
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