Honey is one of nature’s great preservatives. And it’s a delicious way to extend access to one of the great garden medicines: rose petals.
Roses are the flowers of love for good reason. Their fragrance is uplifting not only because of our mental associations with it, but also physiologically.
The aromatic compounds in roses have been shown to lower blood pressure, subdue stress, alleviate anxiety, palliate pain, support sexual function in men and women on antidepressant drugs, and more.
Rose petals, leaves, twigs and bark are excellent astringents, tightening and toning lax tissues. This can help with skin scrapes, diarrhea and even staunch bleeding.
Don’t let the pretty face food you: Roses are real medicine.
Making rose-petal honey is one of my favorite rites of spring. It’s super simple to do, as I demonstrate in this quick video.
Just chop the rose petals and stir into honey. That’s it.
All you need are some roses (make sure they’re not sprayed with pesticides), honey, and a jar. Chopsticks are the stirring tool of choice. And don’t forget to label your completed concoction!
This technique works for herbs both fresh and dried. Just pay attention to the water content of any herbs you add to honey, as this will affect the product’s longevity.
Rose-petal honey is medicine that heals you at least twice, both when you make it and when you take it.
Pulling off the petals and then having them in your hands while you chop is both physically sensuous and an olfactory delight.
And you’ll be rewarded again every time you open your jar. There’s no need to buy rose essential oil — one of the most expensive in the world — when you can preserve your own at home.
Just don’t do what I did in 2019 and wait too long to eat it. Water in the fresh petals dilutes the honey’s sugars, and it will start to mold after several months.
I hope you get a chance to enjoy rose season — and extend it deliciously.
Salúd!
— Dr. Orna
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