SC - candied ginger

[DianaFiona at aol.com]

In a message dated 97-11-11 06:59:58 EST, you write:

<< 
 Also, does anyone have a recipe for rose beads.  I know it's not a food 
 item,  but....... who better to ask than the Cathedral!!  I had a recipe 
 for it but it has gone and walked off on me.  I think I got it out of 
 "Herb Companion" magazine  8-9 years ago.
 
 thank you
 I >>
      Yes, I do rose beads often! And I got the original directions from that
article, but you don't really need a specific recipe. The basic idea alone
works fine--the process is pretty forgiving. 
     Obtain rose petals (Unsprayed is best--they *will* be touching skin.),
either dried or fresh. If dried, grind them as fine as you can in a spice
grinder/coffee grinder. To a half cup or so of rose powder, add about a
tablespoon of plain flour. mix together well, then slowly add water or
rosewater if you have it. Blend to a paste that will hold together well
without being too sticky. Pinch off bits of this dough, roll into balls--or
whatever shape you wish--and pierce them with a large needle or small bamboo
skewer, depending on what you wish to string them on later. Do remember that
the whole bead will shrink significantly as it dries and size your holes
accordingly. Lay them out to dry, turning often. A fan directed at them can
speed things along and prevent any chance of molding. Another option, once
the have stiffened up enough, is to string them on stout thread and hang them
up to dry. Tie up both ends, pulling the string taunt and leaving a bit of
room between each bead. Turn them ocasionally to prevent them from sticking
to the string.
     Let the beads dry completely, then rub them with rose oil to finish them
and string them to suit you. When they start to lose their scent, rub in more
rose oil. Storing them in an airtight box box or at least a leather pouch
will help keep the scent longer.
     These beads turn out a lovely dark red, but if you want *black* beads,
cook either fresh petals or your paste in a cast iron pan. The iron oxidies
the roses, turning them black. If you start with fresh petals, cook them in a
good amount of water until they are soft, take them out and puree them, then
put them back and cook down to a thick paste. From there, proceed as with the
dried roses.

     That's a quick description of the process. If you have any questions,
let me know! ;-)

Ldy Diana
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