Make Rose Tea
Roses are perfect for every occasion, including afternoon tea. This is a light and gently flavored tea that will treat you to the sweet aroma of the rose garden.
Contents
Ingredients
- Fresh rose petal tea
- 1 to 2 cups of fresh, pesticide-free rose petals
- 3 cups of water
- Honey or other sweetener, optional
- Green rose tea
- Dried rose petals - these are available from specialist tea stores; if you have the time, you can also dry your own rose petals - instructions below
- Green powder tea
- Honey, as sweetener, optional
- Rose-scented tea
- 200g / 7 oz dried organic rose petals, highly scented
- 500g / 1 1/4 lb high quality black tea
Steps
Fresh rose petal tea
It is possible to make rose petal tea using just fresh rose petals.
Be sure to choose petals that are organic.- Select pesticide-free petals. You'll need a good amount, at least 1 cup and preferably 2 cups. Clean the petals in a colander placed under running water.
- Place the 1 to 2 cups rose petals in a saucepan filled with 3 cups of water.
- Boil for five minutes. Then strain and pour into cups or mugs.
- Sweeten with honey or enjoy as it is.
Green rose tea
- Dry the rose petals. If you are not buying dried rose petals from a tea store, make your own. You will need to be certain that the variety of rose petals you grow are sweet tasting rather than bitter. If unsure, ask your local horticultural specialists for advice.
- Pick the rose petals and make sure they are free of dew.
- Half fill the net bag and close with an elastic.
- Hang the bag in a warm, dry and dark place to dry. This will take anywhere from a few days to a week, depending on the humidity of your environment.
- Make the tea. Once the petals have dried, you can prepare the tea. Combine equal parts rose leaves and equal parts green powder tea.
- Store in an airtight, opaque container suitable for tea.
- Make a cup of tea following the instructions for the green powder tea. Add honey to sweeten if desired.
Rose-scented tea
- Select a quality black tea of your liking. The roses will scent it but it must be a good tea to begin with, so that you enjoy the blend. You could also choose oolong tea, a blend of black and green, with their lovely, rich and fruity flavours.
- Place the tea leaves and rose petals into a large mixing bowl. Stir gently to combine.
- If wished, small dried rosebuds can be included for appearance. Ensure that these are organic too.
- Transfer the mixture to suitable airtight containers. Label and date so that you remember when it was made and when it should be used by.
- Leave for a few days for the rose petals to begin imparting a little flavour. Most of the flavour will come out with the hot water when the tea is made though, so there's no need to wait too long.
- Make the rose tea as for the instructions accompanying the black tea used as the base. The tea will be gently scented with the added rose petals.
Tips
- If you have high humidity problems, drying may be better achieved by laying the petals flat on tissue paper arranged over a wire cooling rack.
- Rose tea in airtight packages makes for a lovely homemade gift.
- Always choose the highly scented varieties of rose for making tea.
- You can make rose-scented sugar to accompany the rose-scented tea.
Warnings
- Be sure to use rose petals that are free from pesticides.
Things You'll Need
- Method 1
- Colander or strainer
- Saucepan
- Cups or mugs
- Method 2
- Small net bag
- Elastic
- Tea-making items
- Airtight container to store tea
- Strainer, saucepan for fresh petal recipe
- Method 3
- Large mixing bowl
- Airtight containers
- Labels and marker
Related Articles
- Make Rose Vinegar
- Make Rose Chocolate Creams
- Arrange a Dozen Roses in a Vase
- Grow Roses
- Grow Organic Roses
- Make Rose Scented Tea
Sources and Citations
- Faz from Rexipe, http://www.flickr.com/photos/7352088@N08/826990199/