By Candice Walker on April 10, 2024 (Last updated April 10, 2024) This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
123shares
Learn how to make homemade rose water with either fresh or dried rose petals. It’s a versatile ingredient to have for refreshing beverages & baking.
Many recipes from cakes to cocktails require rose water. I find it rewarding to make my own using the evaporation method, as a way to preserve the roses from my garden, with each batch offering a slightly different end product. Using dried petals yields the most consistent and potent results, but both versions work great.
High-quality pure rose water: Use only fresh, organic roses that are free from any chemicals or pesticides.
Useful way to use fresh roses: If you grow fresh roses in your garden, turning them into rosewater is great for cooking and baking as well as using it for skincare. I like to keep a bottle of this as a face spritz in my bathroom.
🧾 Ingredients in This Recipe
Clean, fresh rose petals – You will need to use fresh rose petals that you have grown or bought from a florist. If using roses from a florist, check with the florist to ensure they are food-safe. Store-bought roses almost always have a coating of pesticides/fungicides that make them unsuitable for this recipe.
or Dried rose petals – These are to be used instead of fresh rose petals and yield a more consistent result. It is also easier to find food-safe dried rose petals. You can buy them online or dry homegrown rose petals.
Distilled water – This ensures there are no impurities in the water, so it is best to use in this recipe. Filtered water is OK but not as pure, so distilled water is a better choice.
Ice (optional) – The ice helps speed up the condensation dripping down into the bowl. So it isn’t necessary to use ice, but it makes the whole process faster.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
👩🍳 How to Make Rose Water with Dried Rose Petals
Dried rose petals will need to be rehydrated before use. Soak your rose petals in 2 cups of room temperature distilled water for at least 1 hour. They will reabsorb that water and grow in size.
Place the rehydrated petals into a deep saucepan and cover them with more water. The water should completely cover the petals, but not be too deep to where your metal steamer tray, strainer, or bowl is covered with water.
You can set up the evaporation process in two ways. You can use a metal steamer and place a ceramic or glass heat-safe bowl inside, as I have done. Or, you can place one bowl upside down in the middle of the roses, and balance another bowl on top of it to catch the condensation.
You will need a domed lid that fits on top of your saucepan when the pan is inverted (face down). Place the lid on the pan and add some (optional) ice cubes to the dip in the lid.
Start heating your water over medium until it reaches boiling point. The steam from the water will hit the cold domed lid and turn back into water, collecting in that bowl.
Keep replacing the ice until all the water in the pan has evaporated. It should take about 30 minutes. Remove your ready-to-use rose water.
👩🍳 How to Make Rose Water with Fresh Rose Petals
If using fresh whole roses, peel all the petals off the rose and soak them in cold water for 10 minutes to make sure all the bugs and debris are removed.
Place the cleaned petals in a large saucepan and cover them with water. The water should completely cover the petals, but not be too deep to where your metal steamer tray, strainer, or bowl is covered with water.
❗️Note on Buying Fresh Roses
The freshest possible roses will work best for this recipe. Remember that you can’t buy roses from the grocery store and use them for rose water because most store-bought roses are coated in pesticides/fungicides that should not be consumed. If buying fresh, ask your florist if they are safe to ingest.
You can set up the evaporation process in two ways. You can use a metal steamer and place a ceramic or glass heat-safe bowl inside, as I have done. Or, you can place one bowl upside down in the middle of the roses, and balance another bowl on top of it to catch the condensation.
You will need a domed lid that fits on top of your saucepan when the pan is inverted (face down). Place the lid on the pan and add some (optional) ice cubes to the dip in the lid.
Start heating your water over medium until it reaches boiling point. The steam from the water will hit the cold domed lid and turn back into water, collecting in that bowl.
Keep replacing the ice until all the water in the pan has evaporated. It should take about 30 minutes. Remove your ready-to-use rose water.
🌷 Aromatic Rose Water Recipes
You will find the sweet, subtle flavor in these rose-infused Persian recipes to be extra luxurious.
Learn how to make homemade rose water with either fresh or dried rose petals. It's a versatile ingredient to have for refreshing beverages & baking.
Prep Time5 minutesmins
Cook Time30 minutesmins
Steeping Time (if using dried)1 hourhr
Total Time1 hourhr35 minutesmins
Course: Condiment
Cuisine: Persian
Diet: Gluten Free, Kosher, Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 8tablespoons
Equipment
1 deep saucepan
1 domed saucepan lid
1 Steamer basket
1-2 heat-safe bowls Ceramic or glass
Ingredients
½cupdried rose petalsor 1 cup of fresh rose petals (4-5 roses)
5cupsdistilled water
Ice
Instructions
Preparation for Dried Rose Petals
Soak rose petals in 5 cups of distilled water for at least 1 hour.
Place rehydrated petals into a large saucepan and cover them with more water.
Preparation for Fresh Rose Petals
Peel all the petals off a whole rose and place them in a large saucepan. If you have loose rose petals, put them in the pan.
Evaporation Process
You can set up the evaporation process in two ways. You can use a metal steamer and place a bowl inside. Or, you can place one bowl upside down in the middle of the roses, and balance another bowl on top to catch the condensation.
Place the domed lid on the pan and add some ice cubes to the dip in the lid.
Start heating your water until it reaches boiling point. The steam from the water will hit the cold domed lid and turn back into water, collecting in that bowl.
Keep replacing the ice until all the water in the pan has evaporated. It should take about 30 minutes.
Remove your ready-to-use rose water.
Notes
Do not use store-bought roses as they are likely coating in pesticides/fungicides that should not be consumed.
Nutrition
Serving: 15g | Sodium: 7mg | Calcium: 4mg
Did you try this recipe?I’d love to hear what you think! Leave a Review to let us know how it came out, if you have a successful substitution or variation, or anything else.
