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You are here: Home / Recipes and Cooking Tips / How to Make Rose Water

How to Make Rose Water

July 21, 2011 by Alea Milham 17 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy here.
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Use this tutorial on how to make rose water with your rose petals to create a rosewater to use in baking and in homemade personal products.

how to make rose water

Last week I shared my fast and easy method for making rose water. The downside to the fast method is the rosewater is either a greenish or brownish color. For some recipes that is fine, but if you are adding it to a white cake or sugar cookie, it will discolor the final product. This week, I wanted to share the method I use when I want to create a clear rosewater. This method is a bit longer, and a little more involved but it produces a crystal clear, flavorful rosewater.

You should only use rose petals that have not been treated with any pesticides when making rose water. You want your petals to be fresh; I collect my rose petals in the morning and use them right away.

I have explained the set up in the directions, but this is what it looks like:

I put a pyrex bowl on top of an inverted pyrex bowl. This increases the likely hood that the bowl will catch the condensation that drips down from the inverted lid:

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5 from 1 vote

How to Make Rose Water

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time 2 minutes minutes
Total Time 12 minutes minutes
Author Alea

Ingredients

  • 8 cups loosely packed freshly picked rose petals
  • 6 - 8 cups of distilled water
  • ice

Instructions

  • Rinse the rose petals.
  • Place a heat proof bowl in the center of a large pot ( I use my enamel canning pot). If you want you can place the bowl on top of another heat proof bowl that has been inverted (this will raise the bowl closer to the top of the pot).
  • Place the rose petals around the bottom of the pot, making sure not to get any in the bowl.
  • Cover the rose petals with the water, making sure not to get any in the bowl.
  • Place the lid on the pot upside down and fill the depression with ice. ( Be careful not to put in too much ice; you don't want it to overflow when it melts).
  • Cook over a medium-high heat until the water begins to boil. Then lower the flame and simmer for up to 2 hours. Replace the melted ice with fresh ice as needed. Make sure the water doesn't boil down. If it gets too low add some more distilled water.
  • The water that collects in the bowl is your rose water. Transfer it to a sterilized bottle or jar. The rose water will keep in the refrigerator for up to a month.

 

 

Related Posts:

Gluten-Free Shrewsbury Cakes ( a recipe using rose water)
How to Make Candied Flowers
How to Make Simple Syrup

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About Alea Milham

Alea Milham is the owner of Premeditated Leftovers and the author of Prep-Ahead Meals from Scatch. She shares her tips for saving money and time while reducing waste in her home. Her favorite hobby, gardening, is a frugal source of organic produce for her recipes. She believes it is possible to live fully and eat well while spending less.

Comments

  1. Michelle says

    August 24, 2023 at 6:51 pm

    5 stars
    I’ve seen people make rose water by just boiling the petals and using the water the petals are boiling in. With the method you mention in this blog, that your rose petal is the water in the center bowl, is there any reason not to use the water the petals boil in?

    Reply
    • Alea Milham says

      September 3, 2023 at 7:58 pm

      The water in the bowl will turn green. You can use it, if you wish.

      Reply
  2. Abby says

    August 4, 2016 at 7:34 pm

    Hi I simply just picked roses from my garden, rinsed them with water and poured boiling water over them, my rose water came out greenish brown and does now smell like roses at all. Is it okay to use? And why does it have that ugly color?

    Reply
    • Alea Milham says

      August 6, 2016 at 10:55 am

      As outlined in this method, http://premeditatedleftovers.com/recipes-cooking-tips/how-to-make-rose-water-the-fast-and-easy-method/, you need to use distilled water and you need to let them steep to take on the rose scent. The water will be discolored, but it is usable. If you want a clear rosewater, you need to use the above method.

      Reply
  3. Sandie says

    June 3, 2012 at 9:21 am

    Thanks for the great info, my rosewater turned out great! I do have a question–

    Why can’t i use the remaining water with the petals in it? I know it ugly brown, but it seems like it would have a lot of the rose concentrated in it. If I din’t care that my facial astringent is brown, would it work just as well?

    Reply
    • Alea says

      June 3, 2012 at 10:39 am

      You can use the water. Strain the petals and squeeze out the excess water from the petals. The leftover water is very similar to the results that are achieved using my method for making Fast and Easy Rose Water.

      Reply
  4. Vicky says

    July 23, 2011 at 3:48 am

    Do you use this as a toner? When I was little I used to make rose water from the roses in the garden but I used tap water! That must be why my mother always tipped it out a day later! Great post,I might try making it properly now!

    Reply
    • Alea says

      July 23, 2011 at 9:10 am

      I use it in Shrewsbury cakes (gf recipe coming soon), sorbets and cakes. It adds an interesting, floral flavor.

      Reply
      • Vicky says

        July 23, 2011 at 5:04 pm

        Oooo! Can’t wait for the GF version!

        Reply
  5. Candace says

    July 22, 2011 at 7:35 pm

    I have never tasted anything made with rose water. I am intrigued. You put it in cakes and cookies?

    Reply
    • Alea says

      July 23, 2011 at 9:12 am

      Yes, and I also use it in sorbets. It adds an interesting flavor to otherwise bland desserts.

      Reply
  6. Jessica says

    July 22, 2011 at 9:07 am

    Thank you so much for the friendship on foodbuzz! I am your newest follower. Please visit my Cajun blog @ http://cajunlicious.com & my Best of the Veg blog @ http://best-veg.com

    Reply
  7. Kitchen Belleicious says

    July 22, 2011 at 6:15 am

    So glad you posted this. I love the idea of rose water and with your instructions it looks quite easy (easier than I thought)!

    Reply
  8. Elsa says

    July 22, 2011 at 5:16 am

    Yay, I’ve been waiting for this!! Do dried rose petals work by any chance? Also, where would you recommend buying them if you don’t grow them at home?

    Reply
    • Alea says

      July 22, 2011 at 7:52 am

      No, it doesn’t work with dried petals. You can sometimes find organic roses at farmer’s markets and specialty stores. You can also check with neighbors.

      Reply
  9. April @ The 21st Century Housewife says

    July 22, 2011 at 2:03 am

    This is wonderful! Thank you for these two great posts, Alea!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Apple Tansey: A Colonial Dessert - Attainable Sustainable® says:
    September 4, 2019 at 6:07 pm

    […] As this isn’t something commonly kept in most homes these days, but you could delve into making your own rosewater — it’s not difficult! If rosewater isn’t in the cards, you can substitute […]

    Reply

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Welcome. I'm Alea!

On Premeditated Leftovers I share simple recipes made with whole foods, practical shopping tips, time saving techniques, and meal planning strategies. I also share tips for minimizing food waste, so more of the food that is purchased ends up on the table.

While volunteering as a budget counselor, I realized that food is the element of most people’s budgets where they have the greatest control. I set out to develop low-cost recipes from scratch to prove it’s possible to create delicious meals on a limited budget. Eating well while spending less is about more than just creating recipes using inexpensive ingredients; it’s about creatively combining ingredients so you don’t feel deprived and are inspired to stick to your budget.

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