Rosewater

Tags

DIY, facial toner, homemade, natural beauty, rose, rose water

Since my rose bushes are booming with buds and blooms, it’s time to finally get back to one of my favorite summer ingredients. Rosewater.

Homemade Rosewater

There are many directions on-line for making rosewater, but most of them make it into a complicated process. My method is easy and I think the quality is just as good.

If you are using this in food/drink or using it on your face, it is essential that you use roses that have never been chemically treated. I only use homegrown roses, for I do not trust store-bought “organic” roses.

Ingredients:
about 10-12 roses (just opening is best), water, 1-3 Tbsp. vodka (optional)

Directions:
Remove petals from stems, and carefully rinse off dirt or bugs. Place petals in a medium sauce pan and add 1″ of water. Bring water to a gentle boil. Turn heat to low, and stir petals until they are all wilted. Cover and simmer gently for about 20 minutes or until all color has faded from petals. Remove from burner and allow to fully cool. Once cool, remove petals from water and squeeze the remaining liquid from them. Strain water into glass jar or bottle, add vodka, and seal. Keep refrigerated for about a week.

Rosewater is great used as a facial toner (add witch hazel instead of vodka) or hair rinse (omit vodka). It’s refreshing in a drink and tasty in a baked treat. Either way you use it, enjoy!

Try:
Sparkling Rosewater Lemonade
Rosewater Sugar Cookies

How do you use rosewater? 

How to Dry Herbs for Teas and Cooking

Tags

dried herbs, facial toner, how to, how to dry herbs, red raspberry, red raspberry tea, tea, tea leaves

Red Raspberry Tea
If you’re thinking iced-tea with raspberry flavoring, stop reading this post now. This is about making your own tea and the method can be used for other herbal teas as well as drying your own herbs for cooking. Some people air dry their herbs, but I know my house is too humid during the summer to successfully dry herbs that way. Besides, I’m busy and need something faster.

It’s been suggested to me several times to drink red raspberry tea… so that’s what is guiding today’s post. Since I have a plethora of red raspberry bushes behind my house, I decided to make my own. I picked only the smallest newest leaves at the top of the new canes. I rinsed them and patted them dry before arranging them on my crisper sheet.

Fresh Picked Red Raspberry Leaves

Baked the leaves at 200°F for 40 minutes, or until they crumbled in my fingers. Crumble the leaves and store in a air-tight container. They will last up to one year.

Fresh Dried Red Raspberry Leaves

To Brew:
Place a Tbsp. of tea leaves into a tea strainer and steep in a pint of hot water for about 10 minutes (herbal teas can steep longer than a regular tea). Add sugar if the taste is too strong.

*Red Raspberry Leaves also make a great natural facial toner. Steep tea (unsweetened of course) and allow to cool before use. Store extra toner in fridge for up to one week.

This method was very easy, I planned to make and store my own red clover blossoms and spearmint for teas. My neighbor mowed over the clover patch the day I was planning on going back into the meadow to pick the blooms. My spearmint is plenty safe in my garden though.

What is your favorite herbal tea?