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Rose water is a fragrant, versatile ingredient that can be used in cooking, homemade beauty recipes, and around the home.
It has a delicate floral aroma and is surprisingly simple to make with fresh or dried rose petals and water.
Making rose water at home is also a great way to experiment with different varieties of edible roses and create a small batch whenever needed.
What is Rose Water?
Rose water is made by combining rose petals with water to extract some of their fragrance and other water-soluble compounds. Depending on the roses and preparation method, homemade rose water can range from nearly clear to lightly pink.
There are several ways to make rose water, but a simple stovetop method requires only rose petals and water.
Rose water can be used in a variety of ways, including:
- Adding a floral note to desserts and drinks
- Incorporating into homemade skincare recipes
- Using as an ingredient in hair-care recipes
- Adding to homemade room or linen sprays
- Using it as a naturally scented mist
- Creating homemade beauty and bath products
If rose water will be used in food or drinks, make sure the rose petals are specifically grown and sold for culinary use.
Benefits of Rose Water
The benefits of Rose Water include the following:
- It has a bright, floral smell and can be used to fill your home with a wonderful aroma.
- It can be applied directly to bad smelling surfaces in order to eradicate foul odors.
- Droplets can be applied to neck, wrists and other areas of the body as a natural perfume alternative.
- It tastes great in cocktails, smoothies and desserts and is a great ingredient to experiment with in the kitchen.
How To Make Rose Water – A Step-by-Step Guide
Rose water is effortless to make at home, so there is no need to spend a fortune purchasing this beauty product. Here is a simple, easy home rose water recipe:
Ingredients
- Half a cup of organic fresh rose petals (4-5 blooms approximately) OR 1/4 cup dried rose petals.
- 1.5 cups filtered water
Equipment
- One saucepan with a fitted lid
- One sieve / fine mesh strainer
- Cheesecloth or nut milk bag
- Measuring jug for decanting
- One bottle for storing (preferably glass)
Method
Source your Organic Rose Petals
Firstly, you need to pick or buy your rose petals. If you have an organic rose garden at home, then you’ve already sourced your perfect organic roses!
Be sure to choose roses that are at the height of their bloom and have healthy, soft and plump petals. The healthier the petals the more oils and nutrients that will be gathered from them.
Roses that have passed their best will be less potent and will have reduced health benefits. The same applies for flowers that are too small, young and underdeveloped.
If you do not have a garden where you can gather your own roses, be sure to buy from a reputable food or health shop, not a florist.
Big, boastful roses from florists are usually covered in chemicals and pesticides, which you do not want in your homemade rose water. Instead, use edible roses or dried rose petals for tea making.
You may also use dried rose petals to make your own rose water: you’ll need 1/4 cup.
Prepare the Roses
Next, it’s time to peel the petals from the bloom and wash them in cool, fresh water.
Be gentle as you separate the petals and try not to press and damage them too much as you don’t want to disturb the chemical makeup and oil balance on the surface of the petals.
A great way to wash the petals is to place them on a sieve and let a gentle stream of water rinse through them.
This will cleanse the petals and get rid of any chemicals, pesticides, dirt or germs that might be lurking in them.
Prepare The Pan
With the petals picked, plucked and washed, you can now pour them into the saucepan. Try to spread them evenly in a thin layer over the base of the pan.
Use Filtered Water
Next, pour in a cup and a half of filtered water. You must use good, clean, pure water, as this will be the liquid that forms the base of your finished product.
You will be applying it to your skin, hair, food and drinks, so you want to make sure it is high quality H2O.
As you pour the water over the petals, make sure it covers them completely. The topmost petals may float on the surface, but that is ok; be sure that none of the petals are left dry.
Heat
Once the water and the rose petals are ready, you can now turn the heat to medium/low and gently heat the pan. You do not want to heat the pan too high, as the water will all evaporate, and the petals will burn.
Cover the pan and watch closely until the water begins to simmer, then turn the heat down to low gently.
Simmer your Rose Water
Leave the pan to simmer for 5 – 10 minutes, or until most of the color has drained from the petals. Your water should have a lovely rose-colored tint!
Cool your Rosewater
Remove the pan from heat and let the mixture cool at room temperature until it is no longer steaming and all the condensation on the lid has dripped back into the pan.
This may take some time but be patient as it will improve the quality of your finished rose water.
Strain It
Once the mixture has cooled, you can strain it. To do this, line the thin mesh strainer with a cheesecloth and then place the strainer over a wide jug.
Carefully pour the contents of the saucepan into the strainer and let the water trickle through the cheesecloth into the jug below.
When all the water seems to have drained, gather the corners of the cheesecloth and twist them tightly around the petals that will have gathered in the sieve. Squeeze the cheesecloth until all the droplets from the petals have been strained.
Store your Rosewater
Now, all that is left to do is to pour the rose water into a glass bottle and store in the refrigerator.
Since we have not added a preservative, your homemade rose water is best used within ten days and should be kept in the refrigerator. You can also freeze it into ice cube-sized chunks and store it in the freezer for up to 6 months.
A Note on Preservatives
Please don’t make this and leave it under your bathroom sink for months; it will grow bacteria! Store it in the fridge and toss it after about 2 weeks, then make a fresh batch.
If you’re looking for a way to preserve your rose water, citric acid has natural preservative properties and can lengthen the shelf life of homemade rose water to up to 3 months.
Besides, you can purchase commercial rose water products that are preservative-free, however this is only possible because these products are made in professional environments with sterile equipment.
When you are making rose water at home you simply cannot achieve the same levels of cleanliness and therefore cannot guarantee that no contamination will occur.
As you can see, it is incredibly simple and inexpensive to make rose water in your own home. With only two main ingredients (roses and water!) anyone can give it a try.