rose-water-msg - 1/29/08 Where to buy. How to make. Rose-water uses. NOTE: See also the files: roses-art, seeds-msg, Roses-a-Sugar-art, infusions-msg. ************************************************************************ NOTICE - This file is a collection of various messages having a common theme that I have collected from my reading of the various computer networks. Some messages date back to 1989, some may be as recent as yesterday. This file is part of a collection of files called Stefan's Florilegium. These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org I have done a limited amount of editing. Messages having to do with separate topics were sometimes split into different files and sometimes extraneous information was removed. For instance, the message IDs were removed to save space and remove clutter. The comments made in these messages are not necessarily my viewpoints. I make no claims as to the accuracy of the information given by the individual authors. Please respect the time and efforts of those who have written these messages. The copyright status of these messages is unclear at this time. If information is published from these messages, please give credit to the originator(s). Thank you, Mark S. Harris AKA: THLord Stefan li Rous Stefan at florilegium.org ************************************************************************ From: katarndt at aol.com (KatArndt) Newsgroups: rec.org.sca Subject: Re: Rosewater Date: 11 Mar 1997 23:47:56 GMT I have a recipe for Roes water used as an herbal face astringent that uses 1 cup rose petals for every 2 cups boiling water. Steep until cool and strain. For Astringent you add 1/4 cup Rubbing Alcohol but I just leave that out if I'm using it for cooking. Make sure the rose petals are not sprayed with herbacides or pesticides!!!! From: hrjones at uclink.berkeley.edu (Heather Rose Jones) Newsgroups: rec.org.sca Subject: Re: Rosewater Date: 12 Mar 1997 01:59:49 GMT Organization: University of California, Berkeley Erayna L. Jackson (eraynaj at dolphin.upenn.edu) wrote: : Forgive my ignorance but several times I have seen rosewater as an : ingredient in Medieval recipes. Is this actually made from roses steeped : in water or something just called rosewater? If anyone can direct me as : to where to buy it or how to make it, I would be eternally grateful. Rosewater is distilled from water and rose petals -- it's basically water that smells strongly of roses. (People unused to this aroma in food often complain that it makes the food "taste like soap", since that's the product they're used to associating the smell with.) If you don't live in an area where your local grocery chain carries the stuff (it's variously filed under drink mixers, baking ingredients, and 'ethnic' foods in the places I find it) you might look in your yellow pages for a middle-eastern specialty grocery. Such a place would be certain to carry it. Tangwystyl verch Morgant Glasvryn From: david.razler at worldnet.att.net (David M. Razler) Newsgroups: rec.org.sca Subject: Re: Rosewater Date: Wed, 12 Mar 1997 02:31:24 GMT Organization: AT&T WorldNet Services hrjones at uclink.berkeley.edu (Heather Rose Jones) wrote: | If you don't live in | an area where your local grocery chain carries the stuff (it's variously | filed under drink mixers, baking ingredients, and 'ethnic' foods in the | places I find it) you might look in your yellow pages for a middle-eastern | specialty grocery. Such a place would be certain to carry it. | | Tangwystyl verch Morgant Glasvryn Oft times right next to the orange blossom water, which is the same kind of product distilled from different flowers and providing a different perfume for your food. Note: in both cases, perfume your food is what you are doing - while taste is 75% smell, the odor of the flower waters is, at least to the modern American sense of taste, regarded as a non-flavor element. Some folks like it. YMMV. Aleksandr David M. Razler david.razler at worldnet.att.net From: dickeney at access4.digex.net (Dick Eney) Newsgroups: rec.org.sca Subject: Re: Rosewater Date: 12 Mar 1997 21:29:00 -0500 Organization: Express Access Online Communications, Greenbelt, MD USA David M. Razler <david.razler at worldnet.att.net> wrote: >Oft times right next to the orange blossom water, which is the same kind of >product distilled from different flowers and providing a different perfume for >your food. It is also often available in specialty cooking stores, the kind with the imported baking pans and just a few shelves of imported gourmet specialties. Williams-Sonoma chain I'm pretty sure carries it and IIRC they also do mail-order. =Tamar the Gypsy (sharing account dickeney at access.digex.net) From: ag60046004 at aol.com (Ag60046004) Newsgroups: rec.org.sca Subject: Re: Rosewater Date: 13 Mar 1997 12:01:35 GMT Greetings, Rayne! While I don't have a period recipe for rosewater, I've found a non-measured recipe for it in "The Complete Soapmaker", a book by Norma Coney (Sterling Publishing Co., NY, published 1996). On page 62, it reads as follows: "Method for Making Rose Water "To prepare rose water, first gather fresh rose blossoms; do this during the morning, after the dew [h]as evaporated. Place the petals in a glass, stainless steel, or enamel saucepan and cover them with distilled water. Weigh the floating petals down with a heat-resistant glass dish." "Pleace the pan over low heat and allow the pot to release steam for at least an hour. You should begin to see drops of rose oil floating on the surface of the water. Do not allow the water to boil." "When the water has taken on a rosy hue, feels thick and soft, and shows evidence of rose oil on its surface, strain the liquid through a tea strainer, using your fingers to press all the liquid from the petals. Store in refrigerator. (Note that rose water may be used as a skin toner; apply to the face with a cotton ball)." Further on the same page, the author adds, "(Freshly prepared rose water made from red roses will do a good job of coloring [the] soap, so you may wish to leave out the extra dye.)" At this time, I'd like to point out several ideas of my own, for consideration only if you'd like to try your hand at making your own rose water. Consider using only enough distilled water to cover the rose petals. Otherwise, the solution becomes more dilute. Please remember to use only the petals, not the sepals, stamens, or green foliated bracket holding the petals in their grouping. Given the instructions of the book's author, I'd assume she uses fresh petals only. You could consider experimenting with dried rose petals, (not potpourri), though they won't have near the same content of volatile oils. It stands to reason that the darker the rose, the darker the finished rose water will be. It may also stand to reason that the more fragrant the rose, and the more volatile oils in the petals, the stronger in scent the finished rose water will be. The strongest-scented roses I've found are the purple/lilac/sterling-grey-lavendar colors. I'm growing a bush this year to attempt some of this next year. An American catalog, Jackson & Perkins, sells really nice roses, and they give detailed information on color, floriferousness, bloom period, and scent on each rose in their catalog. A quick note - the minute amount, maybe 2 drops, of oily substance floating to the surface of the rose water during heating of the distilled water is called "attar of rose", also known as "rose otto". Given the quantity of rose petals needed to produce even 1 or 2 drops of this substance, it's understandable that the commercially produced attar of rose retails at about $295.00 for 1/2 fluid oz. (last I saw in a catalog). If you'd like to try making rosewater in a period manner, the research may be... interesting. However, recipes may exist in a written format late in period, due to the high cost of perfume and the worthwhile attempt to replicate/duplicate popular fragrances (theory/speculation only). I would also speculate that it might be easiest to start from the period of the Black Death forward (again, due to the importance given "poesies" and other fragrant concoctions which, in theory, warded off the Plague). All told, it's probably easier to buy rosewater than to make it. :-) Don't confuse "rose water" with "rosewood". Rosewood is a South American tree, and although I enjoy the scent of its essential oil very much, it's nothing like roses, and completely unrelated. Last note: If you or any other reader of this post is interested in soapmaking, I *highly* recommend the book listed near the beginning of this post. Very practical, thourough, explanatory, and great illustrations & pictures! Lists of bibliography and suppliers are good, too. The only drawback is that you get great, inspirational photos, and no scent to accompany the pictures. :-( Oh, darn: guess I'll just have to experiment... :-) Hope this information helps! In Service, Anneliese Grossmund Barony of Mag Mor, Kingdom of Calontir ag60046004 at aol.com (no spam, please) ILikeToSmellGoodAndSomeNiceGuysSeemToLikeMeToSmellGoodToo:-) From: "Morgan E. Smith" <mesmith at freenet.calgary.ab.ca> Newsgroups: rec.org.sca Subject: Re: Rosewater Date: Thu, 13 Mar 1997 08:18:33 -0700 Organization: Calgary Free-Net I have found rosewater in Middle Eastern and Indian type grocery stores. It is really made of roses (don't ask me how, I just buy the stuff) apparently. Don't ever try using Rose essentail oil watered down: I have no idea what's in those but it sure ain't meant for your innards. Morgan the Unknown From: Eli the Bearded <usenet-tag at qz.little-neck.ny.us> Newsgroups: rec.org.sca,alt.fan.e-t-b Subject: Re: Rosewater Date: 12 Mar 1997 19:32:25 GMT When my sister wanted the stuff several years ago, she just went to the local drug store and asked for it. I recall it was quite cheap and came in a generic amber bottle that made it look like they filled it up right there in the store. >Note: in both cases, perfume your food is what you are doing - while taste is >75% smell, the odor of the flower waters is, at least to the modern American >sense of taste, regarded as a non-flavor element. Some folks like it. YMMV. People keep telling me this but I have never noticed it. I have a really bad sense of smell, so that may be part of it. And part of why I often have very different ideas about what tastes good compared to those around me. The rose flavored foods I have had have been fairly bland and boring but maybe they were weakly flavored, the violet flavored foods have been pretty good. Elijah ------ since we are on the issue of flower flavors here From: "Charlotte A. Gilmour" <rgbailey at aiinc.com> Subject: Re: Rosewater Newsgroups: rec.org.sca Organization: Gilmour Date: 13 Mar 97 18:50:13 GMT Greetings Anneliese, I happen to know someone else who specifically needed this recipe, thank you for posting it. Also I wonder if anyone who chooses to make their own rosewater should also be careful as well, that they are not using roses that have just been dusted with insecticide, etc., since regardless, if you are using it in food recipes/mead or using it as a scent on your skin, this could be a concern worth noting. I have heard you can purchase rosewater at pharmacies (haven't check yet though) and also (as you mentioned) health food stores, went yesterday and a fairly good size spray bottle of rosewater was only $4.95, not bad, the ingredients listed were simply distilled water and oil of roses, certainly reasonable though. Most Sincerely, Charlotte Anne Gilmour Tearlag Anna Ghille Mhuire From: Galen & Raven <galen at pa.net> Newsgroups: rec.org.sca Subject: Re: Rosewater Date: Sat, 22 Mar 1997 08:34:21 -0500 Organization: pa dot net(tm), A service of Cumberland Technologies Int'l The best RoseWater I found came from a place that Lady Tierza of Clan Kyle had been ordering from. The company is Amazon Dry Goods 2218 E. 11th St. Davenport, IA 52803 They have period patterns, spices, and metal boning. The cost of the Rosewater (6oz) was ($9.95) and comes in a beautiful bottle. Raven From: alysk at ix.netcom.com(Elise Fleming ) Newsgroups: rec.org.sca Subject: Re: Rosewater Date: 23 Mar 1997 11:57:43 GMT In <3333DFDC.55DF at pa.net> Galen & Raven <galen at pa.net> writes: >The best RoseWater I found came from a place that Lady Tierza of Clan >Kyle had been ordering from. The company is Amazon Dry Goods > 2218 E. 11th St. > Davenport, IA 52803 >They have period patterns, spices, and metal boning. The cost of the >Rosewater (6oz) was ($9.95) and comes in a beautiful bottle. In Cleveland and environs rosewater is available from Middle Eastern grocery stores. A 10 oz. bottle costs $2.50. The bottle is not beautiful but utililtarian. The brand name commonly available is "Cortas", from Lebanon. If you use rosewater for cooking you might seek the kind without pink coloring added. (Cortas is clear, like water.) Orange flower water is also available. There is also, from somewhere, a food-grade rose "essence" or possibly oil which is much more concentrated. Stores which specialize in restaurant supplies might be able to find it. Alys Katharine From: rmorrisson at aol.com (RMorrisson) Newsgroups: rec.org.sca Subject: Re: Rosewater Date: 24 Mar 1997 17:26:41 GMT Greetings from Myfanwy! I used to be able to get plain rosewater from my friendly local Thrift Drug. It was about $2.50 a pint. I say used to, because apparently their (and other pharmacies') source, Lilly (sp?), apparently no longer makes it. Not to knock Amazon Dry Goods, but that price someone quoted seems exceptionally steep -- I trust that it is a REALLY nice bottle, cuz it sounds like that what you're mostly paying for. I now get it from a upscale grocery/deli sort of place near where I now live ($2.69 for 3 oz) but thanks to whoever mentioned Indian/Pakistani groceries -- there are two down in the center of town and that gives me yet ANOTHER reason to stick my nose in them sometime (the first being looking for edible gold leaf). Lady Myfanwy ferch Rhiannon mka Ruth Payes Morrisson RMorrisson at aol.com Date: Thu, 8 May 1997 11:58:38 -0400 (EDT) From: margritt at mindspring.com (Margritte) To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu Subject: Making Rose Water Looking through my copy of "The Medieval Home Companion", translated and edited by Tania Bayard, I found the following instructions for making rose water: To make rose water without an alembic: Take a barber's basin, stretch a kerchief over the mouth, and fasten it, covering the basin completely, like a drum. Put your roses on the kerchief and above them set the bottom of another basin containing hot cinders and live coals. Has anyone tried something similar to this? Will this give me rose water, or an essential oil, or is there a difference? I've made rose water before by setting rose petals in water on a sunny windowsill, but this sounds like it would probably yield something much stronger. Note: The manuscript used in "The Medieval Home Companion" has also been translated as "Le Mesnagier de Paris" (The Householder of Paris), and "The Goodman of Paris". -Margritte From: Tovah at hubert.rain.com (Tovah) Date: 25 Apr 97 22:05:01 GMT Newsgroups: rec.org.sca Subject: Rose Lady Greetings Gentle Folks! This is a small example of the rose recipes I have. I chose to first write the most asked for recipes, which are the Rose Beads and the Rose Water. The Rose Water is needed for some other recipes I will be writing about. There are several Rose Water recipes, but I will only metion the strictly only rose recipe. The others call for other herbs and flowers, if you are interested in those also, please let me know. I decided to make the recipes public, instead of writing them to only the Folks who asked for them because there was so many who wanted the recipes. Though there were several of you who asked me to send the recipes directly to you because of certain circumstances, I will do that also. Please enjoy this wonderful and versatile flower! Tovah of Misty Isles Lady of North Keep a.k.a Rose-Lady Rose Beads Gather the roses on a dry day (best done in the dew of the morn) and chop the petals finely. Put them in a saucepan and barely cover with water. Heat for about an hour but do not let the mixture boil. Repeat this process for the three days and if necessary add more water. The deep black beads made from rose petals are made this rich coulour by warming in a rust pan. It is important never to let the mixture boil but each day to wam it to a moderate heat. Make the beads by working the pulp with the fingers into balls. When thoroughly well worked and fairly dry press on to a bodkin (* See note) to make the holes in the centres of the beads. Until they are perfectly dry the beads have to be moved frequently on the bodkin or they will be difficult to remove without breaking them. Held for a few moments in a warm hand these beads give out a pleasing fragrance. * Note: Most of the recipes will ask you to use Damask roses or red roses, but I have found that any modern, well scented rose will do as well. Instead of using a bodkin, you can use a clothes hanger. Rose Water Some do put rose water in a glass and they put roses with their dew thereto and they make it to boile in water, then they set it in the sune tyll it be readde and this water is beste. This recipe was from Askham's Herbal 1550 Modern Rose Water Pick the best scented roses you have. Place them in a gallon glass jar. Cover with water (I use distilled water that can be bought at the store in gallon jugs). Set the roses and water out in the sun for about 2 weeks. Check to see if you get the scent you are searching for. If it is not ready yet, then let it set in the sun for another week. When you have reached the desired scent, strain the flowers from the water.and place the rose scented water in a cool, shady area. From: Tovah at hubert.rain.com (Tovah) Date: 08 May 97 04:47:01 GMT Newsgroups: rec.org.sca Subject: Another Rose Recipe Here is a rose recipe for those who study the culinary arts of the medieval period. I have not as yet fully deciphered the recipe, so please feel free to let me and the other gentles know how the cake comes out. Tovah of Misty Isles Lady of North Keep a.k.a The Rose Lady --------<-< at --------<-< at --------<-< at --------<-< at --------<-< at To Make A Cake With Rose Water, The Way Of the Royal Princess, The Lady Elizabeth, Daughter To King Charles The First Take halfe a pecke of flowre (flour), half a pinte of rose water, a pint of ale yeast, a pint of creame. A pound an a half of butter, six egges (leave out the whites) four pounds of currants, one half pound of sugar, one nutmeg and a little salt. Work it very well and let it stand half an hour by the fire and then work it again and then make it up and let it stand another hour and a halfe in the oven; let not your oven be too hot. The recipe was found in -- The Queen's Closet Opened. By W.M. Cook to Queen Henrietta Maria Date: Wed, 23 Jul 1997 07:39:43 -0500 (CDT) From: nweders at mail.utexas.edu (ND Wederstrandt) Subject: SC - rosewater I find rosewater and orangeflower at liquor stores since they are occaisionally used in mixed drinks. Clare St. John Date: Fri, 25 Jul 1997 10:08:48 -0400 (EDT) From: Mark Schuldenfrei <schuldy at abel.MATH.HARVARD.EDU> Subject: Re: SC - rosewater > It is also available at Trader Joe's for people who live in the West. According to "http://www.traderjoes.com": "Currently, there are Trader Joe's in California, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Massachusetts, New York and Connecticut." One of the most dangerous things that ever happened to my wallet, was the opening of Trader Joe's. Now they are opening one in my town. I'm gonna eat well (and cheaply) and go broke doing it. Tibor Date: Mon, 28 Jul 1997 21:25:22 -0700 From: christy at lightspeed.net Subject: SC - Re: sca-cooks V1 #215 Rosewater The following direction for rose-water are from "Rose Recipes From Olden Times" by eleanour Sinclair Rohde: To make an excellent Rose-water, let the flowers be gathered two or three hours after the sun-rising in very fine weather; beat them in a marble mortar into a paste, and leave them in the mortar soaking in their juice for five or six hours; then put the mass into a coarse canvas bag, and press out the juice to every quart of which add a pound of fresh Damask Roses, and let them stand in infusion for twenty four hours. Then put the whole into a glass alembic, lute on a head of receiver, and place it on sand heat. Distil at first with a gentle fire, which is to be encreased gradually till the drops follow each other as quick as possible; draw off the water as long as it continues to run clear, then put out the fire, and let the alembic stand till cold. The distilled water at first will have very little fragrancy, but after being exposed to the heat of the sun about eight days, in a bottle lightly stopped with a bit of paper, it acquires an admirable scent.---The Toiler of Flora. Also: Some do put rose water in a glass and they put roses with their dew thereto and they make it to boile in water, then they set it in the sune tyll it be readde and this water is beste. Also drye roses put to the nose to smell do comforte the braine and the harte and quencheth sprites,--Askham's Herbal 1550. Hope this helps a bit, but I to think it would be easier to find a middle eastern grocery :). Best of luck with it, Christy Date: Wed, 15 Jul 1998 16:49:14 EDT From: LrdRas at aol.com Subject: Re: SC - Rose Petal Liqueur mfgunter at fnc.fujitsu.com writes: << I'm sure it makes little difference in taste what roses you use. >> This is an inaccurate statement. The roses used for flavoring are called species roses and are totally different than the hybrid teas which most people have in their gardens. Hybrid teas have very little scent while species roses sometimes have an overwhelming scent. Also teas usually bloom throughout the season while species roses bloom all at once and are done for the year. In modern manufacturing the leaves of the rose geranium are more oftentimes than not used to produce "rose oil" because their scent is far more "rose-like" than roses. The Rosarium in Colorado is an excellent source for species roses. Some of their varieties date back to the Roman empire. A'aql (pronounced Ras) Date: Wed, 15 Jul 1998 16:05:09 -0500 From: mfgunter at fnc.fujitsu.com (Michael F. Gunter) Subject: Re: SC - Rose Petal Liqueur > << I'm sure it makes little difference in taste what roses you use. >> > > This is an inaccurate statement. The roses used for flavoring are called > species roses and are totally different than the hybrid teas which most people > have in their gardens. > > A'aql (pronounced Ras) Thanks, but I usually just get whatever roses they have dried. But perhaps that is why my homemade syrup takes longer to taste right than the rose syrup I buy. Same for the fresh petals. I just usually get "red roses" and make the syrup. They seem to work for me. Gunthar Date: Thu, 15 Apr 1999 13:37:57 -0400 From: Philip & Susan Troy <troy at asan.com> Subject: Re: SC - Rose water Seton1355 at aol.com wrote: > Can anyone tell me how long an opened bottle of rose water will last ? > > Phillipa Specifically, no, but tightly sealed and stored in a cool place, it should keep a couple of years. Of course, as a cook in the SCA, you'd use it up before that. Right? ; ) Adamantius Date: Thu, 15 Apr 1999 14:28:31 EDT From: CorwynWdwd at aol.com Subject: Re: SC - Rose water Seton1355 at aol.com writes: > Can anyone tell me how long an opened bottle of rose water will last? > Phillipa If you refrigerate it, resealed, it lasts at least a year by my experience. Corwyn Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 16:40:56 EDT From: THLRenata at aol.com Subject: Re: SC - Rose water Mirhaxa writes: << If you think it's not going fast enough, put a spoonful in the bath water. >> I have a beautiful glass sprinkle bottle, which I keep filled with rose water in my ice-chest at tourneys -- just the thing for a little refreshment on a hot day. A splah on the wrist or neck really makes the heat tolerable. Renata Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 14:51:36 -0700 (PDT) From: Laura C Minnick <lainie at gladstone.uoregon.edu> Subject: Re: SC - Rose water On Fri, 16 Apr 1999 THLRenata at aol.com wrote: > I have a beautiful glass sprinkle bottle, which I keep filled with rose > water in my ice-chest at tourneys -- just the thing for a little refreshment > on a hot day. A splah on the wrist or neck really makes the heat tolerable. I keep a basin on a stand in my tourney kitchen, filled with water with a few drops of bleach (for anti-bacterial purposes) and a shot of rosewater to cover the bleach smell. It's good for those quick rinses while chopping veggies, etc, and there's soap and a nail brush for real washing up. I also put rosewater in the water when I do the handwashing thing for the high table at feasts. A nice touch, I think. On a similar note, I discovered a couple of years ago that Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap is terrific for the bath water at tourneys- the peppermint or eucalyptus are both quite refreshing on a hot day or for a fighter coming off of the field, and the eucalyptus tends to keep the bugs away. It also come in a rose scent if you want to keep the theme... 'Lainie (who is itching to get back to tourney season, but has to get the pavilion done first!) - - Laura C. Minnick University of Oregon Department of English Date: Mon, 19 Apr 1999 21:07:42 -0400 From: "Gryphon's Moon" <margritt at mindspring.com> Subject: Re: SC - another - Rose water question >I have a rose bush that has never been sprayed with insecticide. When the >roses come out, should I just collect the petals and but them in a jar of >rose water? >In the fridge? >Do you keep adding rose petals to the same water as they bloom? >Anybody ever make their own rose water! >Phillipa I make rose water every year. As you noted, it is important to use petals that have never been sprayed with insecticide. I usually pull off several handfulls of petals into a collander and then wash them in cold water. Mostly, I'm trying to get rid of any stray bugs. Drop them into a sauce pan, and just cover them with water. Heat gently on the stove. My rose bush is a lovely deep pink shade, and the water is tinted by the petals. When the petals (or what's left of them) turn pasty white, and the water is rose colored, I strain the petals out of the water. I often put a new batch of petals in to make it even stronger, but it isn't absolutely necessary. It will keep for quite a while in the refrigerator. - -Margritte Date: Fri, 23 Apr 1999 14:36:29 -0400 From: Christine A Seelye-King <mermayde at juno.com> Subject: SC - Herb Distillations LYN M PARKINSON writes: >I've gone and filed it 'somewhere', but what she does is put the >petals and water in a non-reactive pan--I'll use a glass Corning wear >one, then bring to a simmer. In the bottom of the pan is a cup that >holds the rose water. You put the pan lid upside down, so the rose >water condensing on the lid drips down the handle, falling into the >cup. This is similar to the method I use, which I found in a variety of herbal books, as well as a book I have on how to live on a commune. (Very useful info in that one). Ok, this is a still, I use it to make herb distillations. It entails a 6qt enamel stock pot, a small stainless steel mixing bowl (probably a 2 cup size), some kind of trivet on the bottom (glass, wire, brick, etc.) to raise the level of the bowl, and a large stainless steel mixing bowl, large enough to sit on top of the pot and act as a lid. Water and the herb or flower is put in the bottom of the pot, and the trivet and the sm. bowl are put in the center. The large bowl sits on top, and the whole arrangement should work so that there is room between bowls. When heated, the steam rises, ice placed in the top bowl aids in condensation, and the droplets run down the sides of the lg. bowl and drop into the smaller bowl below. We have made some wonderful lavender water this way, in addition to eucalyptus, rosemary, and some roots too, but I can't remember what that was just now. Christianna Date: Tue, 16 Feb 1999 13:42:19 EST From: melc2newton at juno.com Subject: SC - eggs in moonshine- close but OOP recipe In my desire to get away from Feb. weather, I hit the gardening books (like I do every year this time) in the library , and came up with a good one. If you haven't seen _The Scented Garden_ by Rosemary Verey, you may well want to. She covers roses, herbs, shrubs, seems like every plant that has a decent scent, including their histories, growing instructions, and recipes. The one that really caught my eye was "eggs in moonshine" which she adapted form Kirby Hall "Receipts" of about 1650. Heat 500ml/2 cups of rosewater in a shallow saucepan and add 250g/1 cup sugar. Boil to dissolve the sugar. Take eight eggs and separate the yolks from the whites. Poach the yolks in the rose water syrup until they are firm. Arrange them on a flat dish and pour the sweetened rose water over them. Cool in the refrigerator and serve with bread and butter with chopped lemon balm used as a garnish. I thought that this would make a good first course, or, even better a dish for a high tea type meal. Beatrix who is planning some flower gardens, but we'll see how far we get this year! :) Oakheart, Calontir Springfield, Mo Date: Tue, 20 Jun 2000 13:26:19 -0500 From: david friedman <ddfr at best.com> Subject: Re: SC - rosewater Over a month ago, Balthzar was asking about distilling rosewater. Hugh Platt's _Delights for Ladies_ (1609) has a recipe for distillation of herb-waters, with additional comments about different ways of doing rosewater. He assumes you are familiar with the basics of distillation. I can type some of this in at some point for anyone interested; Platt is also in Cariadoc's cookbook collection volume 1. Elizabeth/Betty Cook Date: Thu, 29 Jun 2000 18:26:22 -0700 (PDT) From: Terri Spencer <taracook at yahoo.com> Subject: Re: SC - Liqueurs Jadwiga wrote: > Could you list the references to rosewater made from fair water? This is the one I was thinking of: To draw both good Rosewater and oyle of Roses together After you have digested your Rose leaves by the space of 3 moneths ...then distill them with fair water in a Limbeck: draw so long as you can find any excellent smell of the Rose, then divide the fattie oyle that fleeteth on the top of the Rosewater, and so you have both excellent oyle of Roses, and also good Rosewater together... From Delightes for Ladies, Sir Hugh Plat, 1609. Temair Date: Thu, 28 Sep 2000 15:32:39 PDT From: "Bonne of Traquair" <oftraquair at hotmail.com> Subject: Re: SC - Rosewater I wrote regarding more and less concentrated rosewaters: >>if used in >>the quantities sometimes called for in the middle ages recipes, not >>only will you go broke, but the dish will so reek of rose scent that >>I'd bet not many people will eat it. Cariadoc asked: >What medieval recipe were you thinking of that specifies the quantity I don't know of any that specify the quantity, but sometimes the quantity is implied. The recipe under discussion in another thread will serve. I know of two times to wash butter: at the end of the churning process--to remove any remaining whey or other impurities prior to use or to salting. And later to clean out the salt used to preserve the butter and get it back to a usable state. You mix and mash a quantity of water into the butter, so that the water dissolves the salt and then clap the water back out again in order to get back to a buttery consistency. If you are using rosewater as Plat mentions, rose scent and taste will remain behind. IMO even if Plat is only using this process to flavor and not actually to clean out salt, he'd still intend for wash to mean wash, not sprinkle. Other than that, I beleive others have spoken about recipes that say 'add rosewater' to a fairly dry mix, and then do something to the resulting paste or batter. A partial teaspoon of rosewater won't change the mix into a paste or batter, you'd need in the range of a partial cup. Not recalling specific instances, I'll hope someone else speaks up. Personally, this morning I mashed a few drops of the concentrated stuff into a stick of butter, with a tablespoon of sugar. This is good! Had nobody done this before at feast? In places where the populace is more conditioned toward acceptance of period food it could take over from honey butter pretty quickly. Bonne Date: Tue, 7 Dec 2004 10:42:00 -0800 From: lilinah at earthlink.net Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Asabi Zainab To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org > At 06:20 AM 12/7/2004, you wrote: >> Also you may be getting icky rosewater. I've had really good subtle >> rosewater and really chemical-tasting rosewater. > >This is quite possible. I don't care for the stuff in the little blue > bottle, but the rosewater I got at a Lebanese grocery was vaairy naahce > (ok- imagine silly French accent!) > > 'Lainie Hey, watch where you point that accent! The stuff in the little blue bottle is likely to be French. In 1973, when i lived in France, in Le Cannet, i was just a few blocks from Chez Funel, a distillery of flower waters that was several hundred years old. Still had old copper stills in their distillery. My first ros and orange flower waters were theirs, in lovely blue glass bottles. At some point, i found them in the US in little plastic squeeze bottles. Eventually i no longer found little blue bottles labeled as being from Funel, but only marked with the name of th American distributor. They are HIGHLY concentrated. One only needs a drop or a few. If you have used this brand, you may be finding it unpleasant because you are using too much. For SCA feasts i've been using Lebanese rose and orange flower waters - IIR, the brand name is Costas. These are MUCH MORE dilute, so i use them by the spoonful with no complaints about soapy or chemical taste. Anahita <the end> Edited by Mark S. Harris rose-water-msg Page 15 of 15