[Sca-cooks] rose hips and roses

[Stefan li Rous]

Felicia asked:
> Does any one know if there is a special process by which fresh rosehips are
> dries so that they may be used in cooking?  Also, is there a particular type
> of rose that must be used.
>
> I have several prolific rose bushes in my yard, and I do not use any
> pesticides at all.  I rarely even fertilize them.

Many (most?) of todays rose hybrids have often lost a lot of their
fragrance and taste. However any can be used.

You might find these files in the Florilegium of interest:
cook-flowers-msg  (78K)  2/23/01    Cooking with flowers. Medieval flower dishes
http://www.florilegium.org/files/FOOD/cooking-flowers-msg.html
roses-art         (36K)  5/15/97    "Sacred Iron Posies" by Daniel del Cavallo.
                                       (medieval roses).
http://www.florilegium.org/files/PLANTS/roses-art.html
rose-syrup-msg    (10K)  6/24/99    Making rose syrup. It's uses. Sources.
http://www.florilegium.org/files/PLANTS/rose-syrup-msg.html
rose-water-msg    (34K) 11/27/00    Where to buy. How to make. Rose-water uses.
http://www.florilegium.org/files/PLANTS/rose-water-msg.html
flowers-msg        (7K)  9/21/01    Period flowers. Growing flowers.
http://www.florilegium.org/files/PLANTS/flowers-msg.html
Roses-a-Sugar-art (21K)  7/15/98    "Divers Pretty Things Made Of Roses & Sugar"
                                       by Mistress Renata Kestryl of Highwynds.
http://www.florilegium.org/files/FOOD-SWEETS/Roses-a-Sugar-art.html

For drying them, I think the same processes that you use to dry
other fruits and such should work:
drying-foods-msg  (45K)  1/12/01    Drying foods in period and for the SCA.
http://www.florilegium.org/files/FOOD/drying-foods-msg.html

I hope this helps you get started using an surplus roses you might have.

--
THLord Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra
   Mark S. Harris            Austin, Texas          stefan at texas.net
**** See Stefan's Florilegium files at:  http://www.florilegium.org ****