Rose tea is one of the beverages you must try if you are fond of sweet aromatic drinks. Since roses fit to every occasion, therefore it is always a pleasure to serve rose tea or have it. You can include this light drink in the afternoon tea or whenever you are in need of a real refreshment. Rose tea can be served along with cookies and cakes. If you have never tried it and you are still wondering how it tastes like or if you have had it and you are curious about the way to prepare it, here is the recipe. Read on.
Complexity Level: Basic
Time Required: 8-10 minutes
Resources Required:
- Rose petals
- A glass bowl
- A wooden stirrer
- Towel
- Green tea or black tea bags
Instructions:
1. Collecting and drying rose petals
Choose those rose petals which are of good quality and sweet in taste (some roses taste bitter). Ensure that the petals you are using have not been sprayed with any pesticides or insecticides or with any other chemicals. Collect fresh rose petals of this kind in a container. Gently separate the petals from the flower and gather them in a bowl. Wash the rose petals thoroughly with tap water so that all the dirt is washed away. Pat dry the petals with help of a towel. Make sure you do not press the petals to hard while drying. Keep them in open to dry up properly. Now they are ready to use.
2. Preparing rose tea
Fill your tea pot with three quarter water and boil it. If you are using green tea add two tea bags and if you are using black tea add one. Add one small cup of freshly collected rose petals to the tea pot. Put the tea pot on simmer flame for 3 minutes. Take the tea pot off flame and allow it to rest for 3 more minutes to fully extract the flavor. Strain the petals and pour the tea in the cup. The tea is ready to drink and you just require to add sweetener, sugar or honey according to taste. However, rose tea tastes best with honey.
3. Preparing non-caffeinated rose tea
Boil 3 cups of water in your tea pot. Add one and a half cup of rose petals in the boiling water. Leave the tea pot on a low flame for five minutes for full extraction of the flavor. Now take it off from the flame. By now the rose petals would have become black. Strain the petals from the tea and add honey according to taste. Serve it hot.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Can we store rose petals?
You can store it in a dark air-tight container in a refrigerator.
Quick Tips:
- Thoroughly wash the petals before using them.
- It is always better to use freshly plucked rose petals for preparing rose tea.
- The petals can be dried with help of a tissue paper if there is humidity problem.
- If the rose petals and water are distilled, the leftover non-caffeinated tea can be used as rose water. The rose water hence obtained can also be used to make rose tea next time without adding rose petals.
Things To Watch Out For:
- Never use Christmas rose in preparing rose tea.
- Make sure that there have been no use of pesticides while growing roses. This is because the remains of pesticides on the rose petals being used in the tea can be harmful for your body.
- It is preferable to use rose petals from personal garden to make rose tea rather than buying rose flavored tea bags from the market.
