[Sca-cooks] rosewater

[Stefan li Rous]

Alexa asked:
> I have seen many recipes that
> call for rosewater.  I was out and about and found a
> wine and cake hobbie store that carried it.  What is
> the average price for rosewater and what other places
> carry it.

As someone else mentioned, the price paid can vary quite a lot. 
Sometimes the quality of the rosewater also varies. You can make your 
own, but it is a lot of work and many modern roses have had the 
taste/smell bred out of them or tremendously reduced. Anyway, for a bit 
more info you might like to look at these files in the Florilegium:
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

You also want to make sure that any rosewater you buy for use in foods 
is food safe, although what you get in a wine and cake store ought to 
be.

> Is that worth paying and grinding
> myself.  Since most recipes only call for a small amount?
Usually it is. Even in period there are comments about buying unground 
rather than ground spices. Along with freshness issues this also avoids 
adulteration. As someone else mentioned, you can easily grind most 
spices in a simple mortar and pestle or in a dedicated spice grinder 
(ie: don't use it for coffee as well as spice grinding). You can find 
more comments on this in the spices-msg file in the Florilegium.

I have an electric grinder I bought just for spices, but I usually just 
end up using the mortar and pestle for small amounts.

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