Rose syrup - oh yes, it's a thing!

My hubby is a great one for syrups that you use in your coffee.  Hazelnut is a favourite, but Caramel has featured and Chocolate is a definite.  However, we'd never indulged in making any.  Well, not if you don't count the Rhubarb Cordial we made last year, which was a very definite hit.   All that changed as soon as I saw this recipe on my friend Choclette's Tin & Thyme blog at http://tinandthyme.uk/2015/06/rose-syrup-and-what-to-do-with-it/.

A Facebook friend who lives in India (hello Jasii! ~waves~) has made rose petal jam successfully in the past, but so far we've not had enough quantity of rose petals to want to denude the beautiful roses for them.

With Choclette's recipe however, you just need one big fat, blowsy fragrant rose in order to make 200ml of the most delicious, Turkish Delight flavoured, warmly pink, headily fragrant quantity of rose syrup.

Scent-imental - one of the roses that donated their petals to the cause

Now I had seen the blog posting the day before I made the syrup and hadn't reacted to it immediately, because our roses are quite new to us and we're still in wonder at how beautiful they are.  However, when we left to go shopping that morning, lo and behold there was a heap of beautiful, perfect red and white striped petals on the ground where our Scent-imental rose had abandoned its biggest bloom to the light rain overnight.  Into a bag they went and with the addition of a small deep red rose (which isn't a fragrant variety, but has the most glorious colour) I was set.

The whole process is so ridiculously and incredibly simple.

Rinse off the petals to remove dead grass and wildlife, dissolve 200g of caster sugar in a pan with 200ml of water over a low heat.  Add the petals, stir occasionally, cook for 30 mins never letting it rise above a nearly-simmer.  Try not to eat great spoonfuls of it as it cooks.  Strain (I strained mine through a tea strainer) into a suitable jar or bottle, cool and refrigerate.

The only thing left to do is to then contemplate all the delicious things you can now do with your little jar of rose coloured, scented and flavoured treasure.

Sweet, syrupy rose scented and flavoured treasure

I put mine over some Greek yoghurt and strawberries while I contemplated.  Oh my goodness but it was good.  In fact, it was beyond good.  It was so good it actually transcends superlatives.

If you have to go and invest in a big blowsy fragrant red or pink rose from the nearest florist, do it.  You SO won't regret it!

For the full recipe and ingredients list go to 

http://tinandthyme.uk/2015/06/rose-syrup-and-what-to-do-with-it/