Natural Kid Craft Wednesday w/ Mama K

A Rosewater Tutorial (Mostly) in Pictures

So I was really banging my head against the proverbial wall in coming up with this kid craft.
I have been crazy busy, had the Seattle Green Festival this weekend and have just generally been burning the candle at both ends. So earlier today when we were outside kicking around the garden and digging in the dirt and a certain small someone mentioned roses just as I was beginning to think there was no hope for this blog post I shouted a big hooray and said 'Rosewater!!!'

So here's what you need:

Roses

It helps to have roses growing in your yard. We have a tangled bush in our side yard living in harmony with some blackberry brambles. One of my fall projects will be to help this beautiful
rose bush survive another season... For now it is a mess, but the flowers are amazing and gracing our table and our baths, etc.

If you are going to buy roses for this BUY ORGANIC ROSES. Commercial flowers are covered in some of the worst pesticides as they are not intended for food and so not subject to the same restrictions. Best just to ask a neighbor or friend for some of their lovely blooms.

1. A Dozen (or so) Roses

2. A Bowl

3.Scissors or Garden Clippers

(I wouldn't recommend letting your 20 month old play with the scissors.

This photo was taken moments before I pried them from her chubby little hands)

4. A Sniffer
(Someone needs to be sure your roses are very fragrant before they are put in the bowl)

5. A Sneezer
(Just for fun)

6. A Glass Pot (for boiling water)
7. Vinegar (white or apple cider are best)
8. A Strainer or Cheesecloth
9. A Pint Jar (or thereabouts)
10. Spritzer Bottle (optional)

You'll need to gather about a dozen roses. I cut them myself and made sure to remove the thorns before giving them to the sniffer and the sneezer to put into the bowl.

They did a great job.

Bowl full of roses

Now take your bowl of roses inside.

Add some vinegar. White will do just fine, but I prefer apple cider.

Add just enough water to cover the roses. Give a little stir to mix the vinegar in.

Let them sit for 15 minutes or so. This will help get rid of any little bugs and dirt that may be hanging out in the roses.


Strain and rinse. Now get your helpers.


Have the kids separate the rose petals from the stems. This is actually quite fun and quite engaging for kids of all ages for a bunch of different reasons. For the little ones it's the actual tearing. For the older ones it's more the science of it all. Getting to look into the different parts of the flower to see how it works. Oh yes, and the smell doesn't hurt either.

The Rose Petals

You'll need to bring 3 cups of water to a boil on the stove. Remove from heat as soon as it boils and add the rose petals.


Give a stir to cover the roses. Place a lid on the pan. Let roses and water
cool completely. Be patient. Do something else. We had a tea party. And then dinner. You have the option of just sticking the pot in the fridge overnight and finishing the water in the morning.

Rose petal salad (with some arugula flowers too)

And we are coming near the end. Take your strainer, your cooled infusion and your pint size jar.
Strain the rose water into the pint jar. Be sure to squeeze the petals to really get all the 'juice' out of them.

And voila! Sweet fresh rosewater, by your own hands. Your kids will love this process and be amazed at the outcome.
Store in the fridge if you want it to keep for weeks and weeks. Add an ounce or two of witch hazel and a few drops of lavender, calendula, aloe etc. for an amazing after sun or after bath all over spritzer. My girls take what they call 'rosewater showers'. This basically means they stand under the spritzer while the sweet smelling mist sprinkles down. Awesome.

Have Fun!

Mama K
www.mama-ks.com