Rose Sugar
This sugar is delicious sprinkled on fresh berries or used in
shortbread cookies that call for confectioners' sugar. It is also
wonderful in homemade lemonade.
1 cup tightly packed, unsprayed, fragrant rose petals*
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
Mix together rose petals and sugar in glass or stainless bowl. Cover
bowl halfway with plastic wrap. Let stand 2 days in dry place,
stirring every day.
Then toss, cover completely with plastic wrap and let stand 4 to 5
days longer or until petals and sugar are dry, stirring every day or
so. If sugar has stuck to bottom of bowl, gently tap bowl on counter
to loosen.
Process mixture in blender or odor-free coffee grinder in small
batches until sugar is powdered and no bits or lumps remain. (If
using blender, process sugar in about 3 batches. If sugar has a hard
time getting going in blender, shake blender cup with lid on and
blend on high. You may need to shake it a couple of times before it
gets going.)
Place sugar in glass jar with tight-fitting lid and keep in cool dry
place up to about 9 months. Yields about 1 1/2 cups.
* Be sure to use unsprayed rose petals and, after you rinse them,
let the petals get thoroughly dry before you add them to the sugar.
Old-fashioned and heirloom roses produce very fragrant blooms that
will perfume the sugar best. |