The use of Rose Petals in a recipe

[Andy B]

I have spotted a few recipes in the book by Bryan Auto & Peter Duncan titled "Making Wine like those you buy" that include in some cases 280ml (1/2 pt.) Rose Petals or 280ml (1/2 pt.) elderflowers.

Is there a basic method of sorts to convert the measure/weight to dried rose petals or elderflowers instead of the fresh variety?

Hopefully someone can advise.

Regards.

Andy

 

[BigDaveK]

With herbs the rule of thumb is 1 dried to 3 fresh, but there are exceptions. I don't know if it's the same for flowers so you may have to experiment.

I prefer to use fresh if possible only because who knows what's lost from drying? It may be insignificant but my gut says something is lost.

Good luck!

 

[Clover]

I make a rose petal wine that is simply outstanding. It's my most requested wine. I use 3 1/2 cups dried, organic, food grade petals and 1 ripe banana. At the second racking I always run short (I make 1 gal batches because I'm little and no way I can wrangle a 5 gal batch) on liquid. It finishes in the 14% ABV range, so to make up for the shortage I make about 3 cups of rose petal tea and add a bit of dry white wine if I need more to top off. Back sweeten with honey, and you won't be disappointed, I promise! 71B yeast.

 

[Bearwithmead]

I make a rose petal wine that is simply outstanding. It's my most requested wine. I use 3 1/2 cups dried, organic, food grade petals and 1 ripe banana. At the second racking I always run short (I make 1 gal batches because I'm little and no way I can wrangle a 5 gal batch) on liquid. It finishes in the 14% ABV range, so to make up for the shortage I make about 3 cups of rose petal tea and add a bit of dry white wine if I need more to top off. Back sweeten with honey, and you won't be disappointed, I promise! 71B yeast.

How much rose petals do you use in the make up tea?

 

[Clover]

How much rose petals do you use in the make up tea?

About 3 cups petals to 2 cups water. Concentrated flavor with enough water to mostly if not completely top off. If I need more I add some dry white wine to finish - usually about 1/2 cup or less is needed for me. Same for next racking if needed. Last time I made it at my third racking I just added some white as nearly no lees sacrificed less wine by that racking, so less top off. The "watering down" doesn't concern me because I add more flavor and with over 14 ABV I'm not too concerned with it getting too low.

 

[BigDaveK]

I make a rose petal wine that is simply outstanding. It's my most requested wine. I use 3 1/2 cups dried, organic, food grade petals and 1 ripe banana. At the second racking I always run short (I make 1 gal batches because I'm little and no way I can wrangle a 5 gal batch) on liquid. It finishes in the 14% ABV range, so to make up for the shortage I make about 3 cups of rose petal tea and add a bit of dry white wine if I need more to top off. Back sweeten with honey, and you won't be disappointed, I promise! 71B yeast.

Well, darn, you got my interest. I've never had luck growing roses so I would need to - Gasp! - buy dried petals. Sounds like you've made this a few times - any more tips on what to do or what to avoid?

 

[vinny]

I make a rose petal wine that is simply outstanding. It's my most requested wine. I use 3 1/2 cups dried, organic, food grade petals and 1 ripe banana. At the second racking I always run short (I make 1 gal batches because I'm little and no way I can wrangle a 5 gal batch) on liquid. It finishes in the 14% ABV range, so to make up for the shortage I make about 3 cups of rose petal tea and add a bit of dry white wine if I need more to top off. Back sweeten with honey, and you won't be disappointed, I promise! 71B yeast.

Could you post your recipe, please?

Any idea on the rough weight of three cups? I found a lb of organic petals, but i can't really gauge if that would be enough for a couple of batches, or a lifetime supply...

 

[FlamingoEmporium]

I know when I made my plumeria wine it was 85 flowers for a gallon. I wo7ld assume that equates to about 300 fresh rose petals

 

[vinny]

Petals are on the way.

Now, I just need a plan!

 

[Rice_Guy]

Any idea on the rough weight of three cups? I found a lb of organic petals, but i can't really gauge if that would be enough for a couple of batches, or a lifetime supply...

when I do dandelion 500 gm fresh wt is about 1.5 cup.

 

[Clover]

Here you go! (I'm awfully excited to be asked to share the recipe!)

This is my original recipe. The other rose petal amount was from a tweak I'd made from a 1 1/2 gal batch I'd made last year - opened to that note page in error when I first replied. I hope you love it as much as my family and friends do. One note of encouragement - I absolutely insisted my tee-totaler father try this, and he sipped, then gulped twice! He then loudly announced Damn, this is Good! Love him.

2 c dried, organic, food grade rose petals. Pick out the sticks and buds and use only petals.
3/4 c white raisins or 1 old banana - both work the same, no noticeable difference between the two, really
2T lemon juice or acid blend
1 campden
2 lbs/4C sugar
1 gal water
71B yeast
nutrient
pectic enzyme

Boil 12 C water, take of burner and add petals in mesh bag, lemon, raisins or banana. Cool just a bit and put in bucket. Add campden, soak 24 hrs. Add nutrient and enzyme with the rest of the water. I use boiled, cool well water. Hydrate and feed yeast, pitch. Do not over ferment/rest in the bucket - when it's done take the petals out and get it into a carboy. If I run short at first rack, I make tea with 3C petals and 2C water. Next rack, if I'm short again, I add 1C petals to 3C water tea (don't want Too much rose flavor), use judgement when adding tea, may want to use some dry white in conjunction. Next rack top with dry white. Back sweeten with honey.

Finishes in the 14% ABV so adding tea doesn't decrease the ABV too awful much, will still give you a pleasant buzz like an average ABV, and the extra petals in the tea enhance that flavor. Ready to drink in about 6 months, really, but if you wait a year, oo la la.

The petals are featherweight, so I have no idea how much for a batch of them weighs.

Have fun!

 

[BigDaveK]

Thanks for that @Clover!
Just wondering...have you tried a larger quantity of rose petals? The recipes I've looked at vary between 2 cups and 10 cups dried. Weight wise, 100 gr dried seems to be the standard.

 

[Clover]

Thanks for that @Clover!
Just wondering...have you tried a larger quantity of rose petals? The recipes I've looked at vary between 2 cups and 10 cups dried. Weight wise, 100 gr dried seems to be the standard.

I would suggest you experiment to find your taste preference. I can say, though, that the amount I use in conjunction with the tea to top off gives the wine a beautiful rose bouquet and tastes like you’d expect from its aroma. The honey ties it all together beautifully. When I think about it, I use about 6 cups total in the recipe between the ferment and the tea. So, maybe that’s the midline amount after all. When it comes out of the bucket you can taste the roses but also the alcohol. Using the tea I find takes away the harshness of the alcohol and allows just the rose to come through. At 14%+ the tea evens it out and gives more rose taste and aroma than leaving the high ABV would if you were to just use a larger amount of petals to ferment.

I told my husband I was asked for the recipe, and he said Well, it is your best wine, hands down. He’s a keeper, and a tolerant guinea pig.

 

[vinny]

Here you go! (I'm awfully excited to be asked to share the recipe!)

This is my original recipe. The other rose petal amount was from a tweak I'd made from a 1 1/2 gal batch I'd made last year - opened to that note page in error when I first replied. I hope you love it as much as my family and friends do. One note of encouragement - I absolutely insisted my tee-totaler father try this, and he sipped, then gulped twice! He then loudly announced Damn, this is Good! Love him.

2 c dried, organic, food grade rose petals. Pick out the sticks and buds and use only petals.
3/4 c white raisins or 1 old banana - both work the same, no noticeable difference between the two, really
2T lemon juice or acid blend
1 campden
2 lbs/4C sugar
1 gal water
71B yeast
nutrient
pectic enzyme

Boil 12 C water, take of burner and add petals in mesh bag, lemon, raisins or banana. Cool just a bit and put in bucket. Add campden, soak 24 hrs. Add nutrient and enzyme with the rest of the water. I use boiled, cool well water. Hydrate and feed yeast, pitch. Do not over ferment/rest in the bucket - when it's done take the petals out and get it into a carboy. If I run short at first rack, I make tea with 3C petals and 2C water. Next rack, if I'm short again, I add 1C petals to 3C water tea (don't want Too much rose flavor), use judgement when adding tea, may want to use some dry white in conjunction. Next rack top with dry white. Back sweeten with honey.

Finishes in the 14% ABV so adding tea doesn't decrease the ABV too awful much, will still give you a pleasant buzz like an average ABV, and the extra petals in the tea enhance that flavor. Ready to drink in about 6 months, really, but if you wait a year, oo la la.

The petals are featherweight, so I have no idea how much for a batch of them weighs.
Have fun!

Thank you,

I missed this reply somehow. I actually came back to see if I could force it out of you, and here it is.

I bought a lb of organic petals. I am shocked. They smell amazing. It would be a glorious tea. I can tell that just from the smell. I am very interested to see how this pans out. I will update!

Gotta get to some bottling to make room... A wine in primary may just be the right degree of pressure and motivation...

 

[Raptor99]

Thanks for that @Clover!
Just wondering...have you tried a larger quantity of rose petals? The recipes I've looked at vary between 2 cups and 10 cups dried. Weight wise, 100 gr dried seems to be the standard.

Hm.. 100 g just happens to be 3.5 oz, which is the size of some of the packages on Amazon.

Do you mean 100 g of dried rose petals for 1 gallon of wine?

 

[Clover]

Thank you,

I missed this reply somehow. I actually came back to see if I could force it out of you, and here it is.

I bought a lb of organic petals. I am shocked. They smell amazing. It would be a glorious tea. I can tell that just from the smell. I am very interested to see how this pans out. I will update!

Gotta get to some bottling to make room... A wine in primary may just be the right degree of pressure and motivation...

Have fun! Would love to hear your update.

 

[BigDaveK]

Hm.. 100 g just happens to be 3.5 oz, which is the size of some of the packages on Amazon.

Do you mean 100 g of dried rose petals for 1 gallon of wine?

Yes, 1 gallon. Some recipes do volume, some by weight. That annoys me - when I do a wine I note both quantities.

 

[vinny]

Took me a bit, but I finally started the rose petal wine today. I stayed true to the recipe, but bumped the ABV a bit. 2.5 lbs of sugar.

 

[Vinobeau]

Be sure to add some sprigs of dill to a few of the bottles!

 

[vinny]

Be sure to add some sprigs of dill to a few of the bottles!

No kidding? Never woulda thought, but I'm game to see what happens.