Roses are definitely one of my favorite flowers. They smell so incredible! I simply must preserve them so they can be enjoyed all year long. In this tutorial, I’ll walk you through harvesting and drying your rose petals, along with a few uses for your final product.

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There are a variety of ways you can preserve roses at home. For example, I’m dying to make some rose jelly. Doesn’t that sound tasty?

So far, my favorite preservation method to buy me some time without a lot of effort is drying rose petals. You can dry them outside or in a microwave or oven, but, I find that the quickest and easiest way is using my dehydrator. It freezes your rose petals in time, freeing you up to use them in a variety of products and goodies over the course of the season.

Now you don’t need an expensive dehydrator to get the job done, though I will admit that I sprung for the Excalibur and I love it! I’ve used it to dry fruits, spices, and green powder. Can wait to take it for a spin with fruit leathers and jerky!

Now let’s get down to business…

Harvesting

Harvest your petals in the late morning, after the dew has dried, but preferably not in the heat of the day.

Take care to only pick roses that are almost in full bloom. These are the most fragrant and will be the best for preserving.

Preparation

Make sure to give your roses a good shake to remove any little critters. Do not rise the roses. They need to be fully dry when they go in the dehydrator.

Remove the rose petals from the stem. I found that they tore off quite nicely, just using my hands.

Drying

Lay your rose petals on a single layer, in your dehydrator.

Dry them on the lowest setting possible for a few hours, checking every hour to be sure that they don’t burn.

You’ll know they’re done when they break like a potato chip. Be sure to remove all the moisture before storing or they will mold.

Storing & Uses

Store them in an airtight container, which could be something as simple as a mason jar. My dried rose petals have lasted up to a year and still been wonderfully fragrant.

Here are some ideas for using your dried rose petals:

• Combine them with sugar and essential oils for a delightful sugar scrub. I used mine in combination with lavender and it was heavenly!
• Steep them in vodka and add sugar for a flavored liqueur. Last year I made a raspberry rose liqueur that the family loved at Christmas time.
• Freeze them in ice cubes to add a dainty touch to your next cocktail.
• Combine them with other dried blends for a floral tea.
• And, of course, you can go the traditional route and use them as potpourri.

These are just a few of the many ways you can use dried rose petals. They’re so versatile that I really hope you give them a try. With just a few hours of your time, you can be enjoying your roses all year long!

If you’ve made tried any of our preservation ideas, we’d really love to hear from you! Send us an email or leave a comment below the project you tried. You can also comment on our Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram or Twitter pages.

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