According to archaeological evidence, the rose is about 35 million years old but humans have been busily breeding a veritable magnitude of species and cultivars for around the last 5,000 years.

Both wild dog rose (Rosa canina) and more cultivated garden roses are flowering abundantly at this time of year and the heady summery fragrance of these intoxicating flowers can easily be ‘distilled’ and captured in jars of golden honey.

Ingredients

Fresh or dried rose petals (enough to fill your jar)
Honey (raw and organic is best if possible)

Tools
A jar
A spoon

Directions

• Gather fresh or dried rose petals (if you are harvesting your own make sure that they have not been sprayed with any chemicals) or you can order dried rose petals online

• If you have freshly harvested petals, do so mid-morning to give the dew a chance to dry off, give them a shake and then lay them out on a kitchen towel for a couple of hours to allow any insects to find their way out

• Fill your jar with rose petals and stir to remove air bubbles

• Make sure you fill the jar with honey so the petals are completely covered (this stops them from oxidising)

• Allow the honey to infuse for a few days before using

• At this point, you can either strain the petals from the honey, or serve the honey with the petals

How to Use Rose-Infused Honey

Here are a few of my suggestions:

• Rose honey is a delicious and decorative topping for desserts such as this baklava made with pistachio and cardamon

• Stir into porridge and yoghurt

• Serve on crumpets or toast to make breakfast or afternoon tea a bit more exciting

• Add rose honey to herbal teas for an uplifting scent and mood boost

• Give jars as presents to friends

• Honey has powerful antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties and can be used as a facemask or to treat sore throats, cuts, bites and stings.

Creating a simple rose-petal infused honey is an easy way to enjoy the scent and flavour of the sensuous rose, long after the flowers have faded.