If you have planned ahead and dried some rose petals, you can make this yummy treat anytime of year. The girls and I really loved trying out our own homemade marshmallows on a snowy spring day. Not everyone enjoys the floral flavor of rose. Feel free to experiment with other ingredients such as cocoa or matcha.
Homemade Marshmallows
You will need powdered…….
2 TBSP of dried marshmallow root
1 TBSP of dried rose hips
1 TBSP of roselle/hibiscus flowers (for the pink color).
Add these to one a large glass measuring cup of boiling hot water, whisk until smooth.
Add in 3 packets of unflavored gelatin power ( not quite 1/4 of a cup), whisk until it as smooth as you can get it.
Pour though a fine sieve. Reserve and remeasure your liquid. It should be about 3/4 of a cup. Set aside in a large bowl.
Grease a 8X8 square pan with butter, cut and place a large square of parchment paper into the pan. It should come up and overlap the sides. Generously grease the entirety of this as well. Set aside.
On the stove at medium high-bring to boil 1 cup of honey, a pinch of salt and 1/4 cup of rose water. Stir constantly and watch the color, it should not darken. You will be boiling the “syrup” for 8-10 minutes, until a candy thermometer read 240 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove from heat.
Add in 2tsp of vanilla to your bowl and start to beat your mixture on medium speed for 2 minutes.
Slowly add in your “syrup” and increase the speed to high. You will be whipping for 15-20 minutes to get stiff peaks or the consistency of marshmallow fluff.
Now use a large rubber spatula to remove all of the fluff and place it into you prepared pan. Tap lightly to even out. Set aside to harden 4-12 hours at room temperature. Do not refrigerate.
Flip your block out onto a cutting board and cut with a greased knife into large squares.
Dust with powdered sugar or dried rose petals.
Can store covered on the counter for 2 weeks.
The best rose to use for medicine is Rosa Woodsii. Rosa gallica offficinalis or Rosa gallica versicolor-Rosa Mundi were choices for apothecaries going centuries back, known for their lovely scent. Rosa glanteria is well known for producing lots of edible hips. I have several of these growing in my garden plus and a few wild/volunteer mystery varieties that have yet to bloom. There are over 100 varieties/cultivars/wild species. Other roses to check out are Rosa Californica, Rosa rubiginosa, Rosa canina and Rosa rugosa.
All roses are obviously in the Rosa sub family as well as the Rosaceae family which also includes lady’s mantle, hawthorn, cherry, strawberry, apple, raspberry, almond, plum, just to name a few.
Roses are considered a perennial woody shrub. Their multiple stems are usually prickly with large thorns or fine “needles”. Canes often grow to be quite long/tall and can trail, climb, or stand erect. These have many leaves ( leaflets 3-7) along the stem that are serrated, alternate, and pinnate/palmate . Flowers come in all colors. Wild/medicinal varieties are usually in the red/pink family with a single layer of five petals. The plant produces a ripe, swollen, oval shaped red/orange fruit called a hip/hypanthium. This is full of hairy achenes/seeds. Rose are quite hardy and can be found in gardens, along roadsides/wastelands, in the mountains and even near the ocean shore (my favorite types as far as beauty). They do well with a small amount of benign neglect and in most climates.
Historically this herb has been used to purify the blood and clear heat/ mucous (damp) or stagnation. It may treat inflammation, dizziness, headache, sore throat, fatigue, anxiety, depression, constipation, diarrhea, colic, bleeding/hemorrhage, bronchitis, irritable coughs, venous congestion, clotting issues, weakness, hepatitis, flu, gingivitis, hemorrhoids, varicose veins, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, hot flashes, candida, arthritis, and vaginal discharge. Rose can be used in tonics to support the nervous system, uterus and heart/circulation. Externally rose can be used to treat bruising, fragile capillaries, dry skin, muscle soreness, sprains, and eye infection/irritation.
The hips are very high in vitamin C, anti-oxidants, and pectin. The seeds contain fatty acids. The petals are known for their highly scented essential oils. You can find rose being used in recipes for perfume, syrup, candy, dessert, or jelly.
Medicinal parts: flower petals and hips. Leaves for syrup. Root on occasion.
Energetics: Flower-bitter, sweet, cool, moist. Hips-sweet, sour, warm, dry.
Element:Flower-water. Hip-fire.
Contraindications:None but the fine hairs should be removed from the seeds and hips to avoid irritating the throat.
Do you have a favorite rose growing in your garden?
Blackbird's Backyard Pharmacy 