[Herbalist] Rose Beads

[Elizabeth Anderson]

A note of warning - after the reaction with the iron
the mash will stain cloth.  Also the mash can be
frozen, for those who don't have time to roll the
beads after cooking the mash. This recipie is
virtually the same that was published in the Herb
Companion several years ago, it worked well when I
tried it.
Elizabet
--- Una 'nyen Dougal <una_ingen_dhoubhghail at yahoo.com>
wrote:
> Hi, I would like to post in reply to "sheepstealer"
> rosary project page: first of all, nice photos!
> However, is that mold in the jar in that last
> picture?!? I hope not, it'd be a shame to lose all
> of
> that (time,effort AND the rose petals). Looks like
> you
> are well on your way to an insanity project, and the
> roses _here_ are fading or gone already... but for
> anybody else who might be interested:
>
> I found this in _Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia
> of
> Herbs_ (isbn 0878576991) I know this is WAY not a
> period book, but it has a lot of garden/herbal
> history
> in it as well as a lot of good, basic info: for our
> new friend too, it has been one of the textual
> foundations ofmy herbalist life for many years...
>
> In the section on "scents from herbs" they give the
> following recipe/project:
>
> "Rose beads:
> ...you will need a lot of petals... about a half
> bushel-and considerable patience. It takes several
> weeks to prepare a paste from the rose petals,then
> several more to dry the beads formed of the paste.
> ... collect petals early in the morning ona dry day.
> Use fresh petals, discard any that are brown or
> wilted... macerate them with a mortar & pestle as
> has
> been done traditionally(*Una's note - or a Big
> Stick,
> Sheepstealer? *wink*), but pureeing them in a
> blender
> is easier (*if you're going more for end product -
> whichwould be ok - rather than for the 'authentic'
> experience - which is ok too, whichever is your
> thing*
> Una)...
> ...Rose beads have a dull, ebony appearance. To
> acquire the color, simmer the paste for about an
> hour
> ina cast iron pot or skillet with just enough water
> to
> cover. Let (it) cool then simmer again. Iron reacts
> with the roses to turnthem black. Grind the petals
> each day for about 2 weeks until a paste forms that
> is
> thick enough to roll into beads - about the
> consistency of clay..."
>
> The book suggests rubbing your fingertips with rose
> oil before rolling the rose/clay into beads which
> will
> keep the stuff from sticking to your hands as well
> as
> imparting some scent of the rose to the beads. The
> beads will shrink to about half their original size
> &
> you'll need large needles or pins to pierce each
> bead
> & the book says that some people string them on wire
> to dry - which takes "1 to 2 weeks" (*so if I had
> raided the neighborhood rose bushes, I'd have a
> rosary
> by now!*)
>
> My grand mother had a necklace of these things, they
> really DO last darn near forever & they smell great
> -
> but not like fresh roses at all - my grandmother's
> were _probably_ made with semi-modern roses combined
> with the venerable apothacary rose - which even
> yearsafter making the beadsgave them its strong
> peppery character. Got to get one of those shrubs
> some
> day...
>
> By the way - does anyone have advice onpropagating
> roses from cuttings?!?
>
> Thanks all, have fun with your rose mush!
> Una
>
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