Rose Petal Honey

Rose Petal Honey

The simplest of recipes for the most delicious product. This honey encapsulates the fragrances of summer and preserves them in a jar long into winter.

Well certainly for as long as you can keep your sticky fingers off it!

Ingredients

4 Roses

1 jar of the best honey you can buy*.

 

First take 4 roses.

They must be organic and unsprayed. By all means use those from your garden as long as they’ve not been treated with anything for blackspot or given a generic rose fertiliser. Do not use roses from supermarkets, garden centres or florists as they contain a cocktail of herbicides, insecticides and fertilisers none of which are approved for human consumption and could make you ill. It stands to reason but the more perfumed the roses then the more fragrant the honey will be. You can buy organic roses from us here.

Break the rose down into petals and make sure that any pollen beetles or other wildlife have scurried off to find themselves a new home – although they will struggle to find a more beautiful one.

Tip your jar of honey into a small mixing bowl and add the rose petals. Gentle stir to ensure that all surfaces of the petals are covered.

 

The sticky rose mixture can then be returned to a larger jar and sealed or the bowl can be covered in cling film.  Pop out of harms way. There is no need to refrigerate.

Keep an eye on it for the next couple of weeks and poke any rose petals that look as thought they are emerging back down into the honey.    (This is best done with a clean finger for quality control purposes).  

After two weeks strain the petals out of the honey using a sieve and give a final press with the back of a spoon to ensure the last remnants of honey are removed. (This sticky rosy mess is particular lovely in a hot toddy if you are feeling a little under the weather or even on toast- waste not want not!).

Now the big question is what to do with your rose flavoured honey? The possibilities are endless so I would suggest that whilst you are waiting for your honey to infuse you might like to invest in Hattie Ellis’ new book called Spoonfuls of Honey which has over 80 fabulous honey based recipes in it.

 

 

 

*A lot of commercial cheap honey that you buy in the supermarkets nowadays is actually not honey at all but a synthesised syrup product so it is worth buying a decent honey. Manuka is expensive but in terms of health benefits is the Rolls Royce of honey. Alternatively buy honey from a local producer if you can. If this honey is produced within a very few miles of you then it is believed to be greatly beneficial in helping again hay fever and other respiratory ailments. Local bee keepers can be found via the British Beekeepers Association.

2% of any profits generated at www.maddocksfarmorganics.co.uk are invested into Bee Conservation.

Rose Petal Honey