SC - Re: sca-cooks V1 #215 Rosewater

[christy at lightspeed.net]

The following direction for rose-water are from "Rose Recipes From 
Olden Times" by eleanour Sinclair Rohde:


To make an excellent Rose-water, let the flowers be gathered two or 
three hours after the sun-rising in very fine weather; beat them in a 
marble mortar into a paste, and leave them in the mortar soaking in 
their juice for five or six hours; then put the mass into a coarse 
canvas bag, and press out the juice to every quart of which add a 
pound of fresh Damask Roses, and let them stand in infusion for twenty 
four hours. Then put the whole into a glass alembic, lute on a head of 
receiver, and place it on sand heat. Distil at first with a gentle 
fire, which is to be encreased gradually till the drops follow each 
other as quick as possible; draw off the water as long as it continues 
to run clear, then put out the fire, and let the alembic stand till 
cold. The distilled water at first will have very little fragrancy, 
but after being exposed to the heat of the sun about eight days, in a 
bottle lightly stopped with a bit of paper, it acquires an admirable 
scent.---The Toiler of Flora.


Also:

Some do put rose water in a glass and they put roses with their dew 
thereto and they make it to boile in water, then they set it in the 
sune tyll it be readde and this water is beste.
     Also drye roses put to the nose to smell do comforte the braine 
and the harte and quencheth sprites,--Askham's Herbal 1550.

Hope this helps a bit, but I to think it would be easier to find a 
middle eastern grocery :).

Best of luck with it,
Christy
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