Ideas for use as decoration and for the palate

Rose petals delight the eyes, nose and palate

Fragrant rose blossoms, alone or mixed with the petals of other types of flowers in a potpourri, conjure up a pleasant olfactory note in every living room. But what flatters the nose also pleases the palate. the Petals of many varieties of roses - especially those of the so-called old roses - can be used for sauces, creams or desserts in the kitchen, refine jams, cakes, salads or drinks. If you want to use rose petals in the kitchen, choose some from your own or organically grown. The container roses available in supermarkets or garden centers in particular should not be eaten, because they have often been treated with toxic pesticides.

Delicious recipes with rose petals

Rose petals go very well in jams or jams made from raspberries, apples or peaches, but can also be used in sauces with fish and white meat (e. B. Turkey or chicken). For cakes, pies and desserts, we recommend sugared or candied rose petals. The delicate petals can be candied as follows:

• Beat an egg white almost firmly.
• Brush the petals with the beaten egg white
• and sprinkle with fine sugar.
• Shake off any excess sugar
• and dry the rose petals in the oven for several hours at 50 ° C.

The candied petals are ideal for decorating chocolate cakes or creams.

However, rose petals are not only used to decorate edibles. For example, you can use preserved rose petals for a flower-filled living room or romantic wedding decoration. You can buy these, but you can also easily make them yourself.

The rose petals spread out over a large area on a cloth are best left to dry in a warm, dry and dark place. This type of drying takes several days. It is faster in the oven, however, where the petals dry for several hours at 50 ° C.

Dip the rose petals in wax

Alternatively, you can dip the petals in warm, liquid wax and preserve them in this way. This method also has the advantage that the colors remain more authentic and the flowers look fresher. When preserving, you should only make sure that the flowers are absolutely dry, otherwise mold growth can occur. The wax must not be hotter than 60 ° C, as the delicate leaves cannot tolerate higher temperatures.

Rose leaves indicate the state of health of the roses

You should also always pay attention to the rose leaves eye dedicate, after all, this is a surefire indicator of that Health of the rose. This is the reason why leaf health information is so important when buying a new variety. In addition to the various fungal diseases such as star soot, mildew, Rose rust or ring spot disease also settle many pests preferably on the rose petals.

Measures must be taken as soon as possible, especially when the leaves are rolled up, because these are a sign of the Infestation with the rose petal wasp. This sawfly lays its eggs on the leaf edges, which then roll protectively around the larva. After a while, the rose petal will turn yellow and fall off. You should dispose of infected leaves and also collect them from the ground. Dispose of the leaves with household waste, as the larvae continue to develop on the compost.

Rosenblatt has a lot of small holes - why is it?

Many small holes in the rose petals, the so-called "window corrosion", are caused by the Larvae of the rose wasp caused. These mainly eat on the upper side of the leaf and cause unsightly damaged areas that dry out after a while and leave holes. Remove the infected leaves and dispose of them with household waste.