To make Conserve of Red Roses is a traditional Stuart recipe for a classic conserve made by pounding together rose petals and sugar in a mortar before preserving in pots. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Stuart version of: To make Conserve of Red Roses.
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Original Recipe
To make Conserve of Red Roses (from Hannah Woolley's Queen-like Closet 1670)
88. To make Conſerve of Red Roſes.
Take their Buds and clip off the Whites, then take three times their weight in Sugar double refin'd; beat the Roſes well in a Mortar, then put in the Sugar by little and little, and when you find it well incorporated, put it into Gally-pots, and cover it with Sugar, and ſo it will keep ſeven years.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
100g aromatic rose petals
300g caster sugar
sugar for covering
Method:
Trim the bitter white bases from the roses then place in a mortar and pound to a paste. Once the roses are well pounded, add the 300g caster sugar, a little at a time, pounding to thoroughly incorporate with the rose petals each time you add more sugar.
When all the sugar has been added and the mixture is thoroughly blended divide between two small jars that have been cleaned and sterilized. Top with a layer of fresh sugar then secure a lid and store. This will keep for several months and is excellent for flavouring cakes and biscuits, just substitute rose sugar for some of your ordinary sugar.
