Natural Beauty with Roses

My roses really "popped" over the weekend! There is so much beauty and fragrance in the yard right now I wish you all could come over and experience -- I had to capture this bloom. So I made two of my favorite and super easy rose recipes. Rosewater and Rose Jelly. Here are the details -- Enjoy!

Make your own Rosewater.

Pick Roses in the morning and choose the fullest blooms - Gently remove the petals from the stem and wash in cool water. Place in a saucepan and cover with water. (Really fill your pan with petals.) Bring the mixture to a boil and then turn off the heat. Let steep for 30 minutes then strain out the petals. You will notice the color of the petals has faded. Pour into a clean container and store in the refrigerator or you can also freeze. I like to use this homemade rosewater in making masks and toners or just by itself after washing my face. It will make your skin incredibly soft.

Note: The darker the rose color the deeper your rosewater color will be. Also, only use garden roses that have not been sprayed so that you do not introduce any harmful chemicals into your body care products.

Rose Petal Jelly

This is a sweet and floral jelly perfect for an afternoon tea or anytime you just need a boost of beautiful on your morning toast. I use pink roses for a deep color but feel free to experiment with your own flowers. You could also add other fragrant herbs such as mint or lavender to this recipe.

2 cups rosewater (see directions above)

2 1 /2 cups sugar

1 /4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

3 ounces liquid pectin

Place the rosewater, sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 2 minutes. Add the pectin and boil for another 2-3 minutes. Pour into sterilized jars and let cool completely. Store in the refrigerator.

Yield: 16 ounces

You are beautiful!!! for more recipes and garden beauty ideas check out my beauty books for making your own body care products at home.

xoxo Janice