Nature's workshop provides us with magical roses. Their brightly colored petals are popular for decoration, as a bath additive or fragrance. So that they last a long time and we never run out, they are often dried. But how are the fragrance and color preserved?

Delicious tea can be made from organic roses

Which varieties are suitable?

The entire rose family gives us petals that are ideally suited to this type of preservation. However, if possible, they should come from fresh flower heads and have an intense scent.

Five different methods

  • Air drying
  • Pressing between book pages
  • with dry salt or detergent
  • Drying in the oven
  • microwave drying

Air drying

  1. Spread the rose petals on absorbent kitchen paper.
  2. Put the leaves in a warm place. A wind-protected place outdoors is ideal.
  3. Turn the leaves occasionally.

tips

When the petals fill up softly, they haven't lost all their moisture yet. They must continue to dry, otherwise there is a risk of mold.

Pressing between book pages

Few petals can also be dried by pressing. The advantage of this is that the dry rose petals remain flat.

  • Place leaves between two sheets of kitchen paper
  • individual petals should not overlap
  • only then press between book pages
  • Moisture is thus absorbed
  • the book pages remain clean

With drying salt and detergent

Dry salt and dry detergent absorb moisture from the environment, and consequently from rose petals.

  1. Put some dry salt or dry detergent in a large screw-top jar.
  2. Spread a layer of petals on top, then desiccant, etc.
  3. The last layer should consist of the desiccant.
  4. Leave the jar sealed for four days.

tips

If you're drying flower petals over and over again, it's worth buying silica gel because it can be used over and over again.

Drying in the oven

Drying in the oven works quickly and inexpensively:

  1. Set the oven to 40 degrees Celsius.
  2. Spread a thin layer of sand on the baking sheet.
  3. Scatter the petals on top.
  4. Allow the rose petals to dry in the oven for 30 minutes.
  5. Check the result and if necessary add a few more minutes to the time.

Leaves dried in the oven retain their scent and the wavy flower shape is enchanting.

microwave drying

Drying in the microwave is easy and, above all, quick.

  1. Place a layer of kitchen paper on a flat plate.
  2. Scatter some petals on it.
  3. Place another sheet of kitchen paper on top, followed by another plate.
  4. Place the plate in the microwave on high power for about 40 seconds.

durability

Dry rose petals stored in a sealed container have an "indefinite" shelf life. Of course, the ravages of time gnaw at them and they lose more and more of their scent. Open rose petals gather dust over time and are regularly replaced with new ones.

The garden journal freshness ABC

How can fruit and vegetables be stored correctly so that they stay fresh for as long as possible?

The garden journal freshness ABC as a poster:

  • as a free PDF file to print out yourself

Category:

Vegetable garden