Experiment #1: Rose Water

Went back to Austin for a visit with the twinster and had rose lemonade (plus an oatmeal cookie sandwich) at my new favorite vegan hotspot, Bouldin Creek Coffeehouse on South 1st. When I got back home, the roses were in bloom, so I picked 5 to try my hand at making rose water myself. I picked the petals and put them in a saucepan then poured enough water in  to just cover the petals. I simmered the water over medium heat, stirring continuously, until the petals turned translucent then strained it.

Oh, it smelled quite delicious and boy was it potent. ALLERGY ALERT! But when I looked closely at the water, I discovered I had inadvertently murdered dozens of tiny little bugs in the boiling water! The roses in our garden are pesticide free (very important for making rose water), and the bugs were so tiny, I didn't notice them when I picked the petals. So I did it all again but washed the petals very carefully before I started. Next time, I'll pick 'em in the morning when they're still covered with dew and lightly rinse them outside if I need to. I prefer to leave the tiny little bugs outside where they belong.

Oh, but this time I stepped away from the stovetop to answer a call, and when I returned, the water was boiling. Nooooo, this time the water wasn't nearly as fragrant although it was still a nice addition to this lemonade recipe I got from http://www.food.com/.

So from this experiment, I learned:
1. Use pesticide free roses, and pick 'em in the morning when they're still covered in dew.
2. Don't boil the liquid!!
3. Oh yeah, the darker roses make the prettiest, pinkish water. Yellow roses make the water look like, well, yellow liquid.