I discovered the beauty of rose water in my Friday evening yoga class. It comes at the end of the class when we’ve vinyasa’d the funk of the week out of our bodies and are resting in savasana. That’s when the teacher would gingerly walk around spraying a rose water concoction over our limp bodies. The subtle sweet scent is so refreshing and delightful, I find myself yearning for the end of class every time so I can experience those 5-10 seconds of rose water bliss.

Rose Water is one of those versatile secret ingredients of nature. I had no idea it was edible and is used in the kitchen on salads, in sorbets and meringues, and even in baklava. I’m excited to explore the possibilities there.

But also, rose water is an essential ingredient for oily, acne-prone skin and in aromatherapy (as I experienced in yoga class).  And, as I keep learning in my dabblings of life, is easily made at home.

I used to live in a house with beautiful rose bushes (with the most intoxicating fragrance), and wished I still had access to those to make this. I ended up purchasing some beautiful roses from a local grower who doesn’t use any pesticides, so I could create the purest rose water I could manage.

Ingredients

2 cups worth of fragrant rose petals

2 cups water

1 oz vodka (if you intend to preserve your rose water beyond 1-2 weeks)

Place your rose petals in a bowl, and bring the water to a boil. Pour the hot water over your petals, and cover with a plate to let them steep for 30 mins. After 30 mins, filter out your rose petals and let the water cool to room temperature. Add in the vodka (if you’d like to preserve it), and place in a bottle for storage.  I put some in a glass spray bottle and the rest in a large bottle for future alchemical pursuits. Store in a cool, dark place.