Rose Syrup Recipe and What to Do with It
A deliciously fragrant and colourful rose syrup that captures the spirit of summer. If you have access to highly scented unsprayed roses, follow this super simple recipe. The syrup keeps really well and has many uses.
I’m often asked for my rose syrup recipe and although it was on the blog, it was hidden in a this rhubarb cocktail post, so it was hard to find. As it’s such a glorious concoction and summer is the best season to make and use it, time for its very own moment in the spotlight, methinks.
Rose Syrup
A few years ago as I was savouring the deep red colour and scent of the only rose we have in our garden, I was inspired to capture these qualities along with the flavour by doing something other than rose sugar, crystallised roses or pot pourri. I make elderlfower cordial and various other syrups on a regular basis, so why not try rose as a syrup?
Rose syrup is incredibly easy to make. All you need to do is lightly simmer fresh organic rose petals in sugar and water. Once done pour into sterilised bottles and it will keep in the fridge for several months, even once opened. For the sterilisation lowdown, take a look at my post on how to sterilise glass jars, bottles and lids.
Just ensure your roses are unsprayed as the petals could otherwise be poisonous.
This is one of the few recipes where I use refined white sugar rather than golden. Golden sugar has a caramel flavour that carries and somewhat overshadows the floral notes of the rose syrup. I know, I’ve tried it. It also muddies the colour somewhat.
Top Tips
The darker the rose, the pinker the syrup will be. Likewise you want to use a really fragrant rose so your finished rose cordial can be as flavoursome as possible.
Did you know you can also make magnolia syrup and wisteria syrup? I have recipes for both.
Rose Syrup Uses
I’m so glad I came up with this rose syrup recipe. It’s a great way to capture the very essence of rose and can be used in any number of ways. As a cordial, it makes a refreshing drink with both still and sparkling water. Just add ice. It makes a nice addition to cocktails and works fabulously well with fruit of all kinds, but particularly summer berries.
Try macerating strawberries in it. This is one of my favourite things to do with this luscious cordial. It produces a beautifully vibrant tart floral concoction, particularly if you add a little lemon juice.
You can use rose syrup in preserves, baking or drizzled over ice-cream. Whip up some dairy cream or cashew cream with a touch of rose syrup. it’s one of the best things ever. You’ll find a list of recipes that use the syrup further down this post.
How Much Rose Syrup To Make?
I make rose syrup every year now. I have to adapt the quantities according to how many roses I get. This year my rose, which is not ideally placed and is in a shady corner, produced only one flower. The quantities given in the recipe below are for one large flower, but they can easily be scaled up if there are more roses available. Lucky you.
The syrup keeps well in the fridge, but you can also freeze it in plastic water bottles.
Recipes Using Rose Syrup
- Apple, rose white chocolate cake
- Blackberry, coconut and rose barfi
- Blackcurrant and rose nonnettes
- Blackcurrant and rose white chocolate ripple ice cream
- Blueberry and rose almond bars
- Chocolate and rose summer fruit tiramisu
- Chocolate pancakes with blackcurrant and rose compote
- Raspberry, rose and white chocolate cake
- Raspberry rose friands
- Rhubarb and rose polenta cake
- Rhubarb and rose white chocolate ice cream
- Rhubarbarella cocktail
- Rose plum yoghurt ice lollies
- Rose and strawberry victoria sponge
- Spelt waffles with rose raspberry sauce
- Strawberry rose mint fizz
- Strawberry rose trifle
- Waffles with rhubarb rose compote and rose cream
Other Recipes Using Fresh Rose Petals
- Meringues with rose petals – Tin and Thyme
- Rose cupcakes – Tin and Thyme
- Rose petal pesto – Recipes from a Pantry
Keep in Touch
Thanks for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you make my rose syrup recipe, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. And do please rate it. Have you any top tips? Do share photos on your preferred social media site and use the hashtag #tinandthyme, so I can spot them.
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If you’d like more drink recipes, follow the link and you’ll find I have quite a lot of them. All delicious, of course.
Choclette x
Rose Syrup. PIN IT.
Rose Syrup – The Recipe
Rose Syrup
Ingredients
- 200 g granulated sugar or caster sugar
- 200 ml water
- 1 rose a large deep scented red rose is best – any deep scented roses will work, but the colour won't be the same. Make sure it's unsprayed.
Instructions
- Place sugar and water in a pan and place over a low heat until the sugar is fully dissolved.200 g granulated sugar, 200 ml water
- Remove the petals from the rose and add to the pan. Leave uncovered to just about simmer for half an hour.1 rose
- Strain the syrup into a sterilised bottle, seal and leave to cool.
Notes
Nutrition Estimate
Sharing
This post isn’t about shopping, although I bought the sugar at our local co-op, but the rose was sourced very locally indeed – from our garden. No food miles required. So, I’m hoping Elizabeth will be lenient and accept this rose syrup for Shop Local at Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary.
As roses are now in season, I’m also sending this recipe off to Ren Behan for Simple and in Season.
This looks amazing thank you. Could you use any other roses? I have beautiful smelling yellow roses or does it have to be red roses?
In terms of flavour, any roses will work as long as they have a powerful scent. Red roses are great for colour. You only need one or two roses, so give it a try.
Such a lovely flavour and super easy recipe.
It really is Janice. I’ve been making it for years and I’m not bored of it yet.
My roses will be in bloom soon and I want to try this for hubby who is rose syrup lover
It’s such an easy recipe Hazel, but a really good one. I’m sure your husband will be impressed.
Such a lovely recipe. I do love rose, especially with strawberries and this will make a perfect oat milkshake.
Thanks Carrie. A rose and oat milkshake sounds delicious. I often use it in fruit smoothies.
My youngest daughter is called Rose and loves anything that smells or tastes of Rose! So we will definitely give this a go – sounds delicious.
Rose is such a lovely name and how could your daughter do anything but love her namesake.
I love rose flavours!! Is fragrant and subtle and so good for woman’s health!
Ooh I didn’t know about the health benefits Nancy. I’ll have to do some research now.
I adore rose syrup for cocktails and cakes. I have never made it before though so I will definitely be making it again as it’s so easy!
It’s ever so easy Sisley, well worth a go.
What a great idea, I grow lots of roses in my garden so I’m going to have to give this a try as I love the flavour rose can add to dishes.
I love roses, the looks, perfume and flavour. I usually end up making several batches each year.
I notice that I commented the first time and I STILL haven’t tried making Rose Syrup. I think I have a fear of using petals from the garden and I need to address it!
I love that you are always so inventive and using whatever nature throws to make the most wonderful things… Thank you for sharing… I WILL get around to trying this. Pinned xx
Oh goodness Kate. It sure is time to give it a try. Thank you so much for your lovely comment. I do love cooking with the seasons.
Stumbled across your website & love the many ways you’ve used Rose Syrup, l will try it in a Victoria Sponge this summer. Rose Syrup takes me back to childhood summers, when my mum would give us Rose Syrup Milkshakes, sometimes with just milk & other times with ice cream added. If anyone wonders where to buy it you can find it any Asian grocery stores & also in Asda & Tesco, in the Asian or World foods aisle
Thanks Nam. Rose is the taste of summer for me and it goes so well with summer berries and other fruit.
This recipe sounds wonderful. I’m no gardener so am off to badger my ‘green-fingered’ friends for some unsprayed roses. Can’t wait for Summer!!
It’s one of my favourite staples Mary. Just about to make some plum and rose ice lollies with it now. Hope you manage to find a good rose or two.
That is such a stunner of a rose, and what a super way to cook with it – beautiful! Look at that colour and I bet it smells divine!! Thank you for sharing with the #ShopLocalChallenge!
It’s a lovely rose Elizabeth with a powerful flavour and making it into rose syrup means I can enjoy it all year round 🙂
Winning recipe! Thank you for linking to Simple and in Season. Pinned and the recipe round up is now live. Hope you like the book! Ren
Thank you so much Ren, really really pleased to have been picked. And I love the book 🙂
Thanks for the recipe. In singapore, we often buy rose syrup and mix it with water to drink like squash. I love it so much!
Ah yes, I do that too Eileen. I’ve never seen it for sale over here.
Oh my Choclette! Wonderful!! It has never even crossed my mind to make rose syrup…… I think the idea of soaking roses brings back memories of nasty childhood perfume experiments. Now this sounds far more appealing. I am wondering what other flowers could be used? I will definitely be giving it a go. Does it matter what type/colour of rose you use and is it better to have a strongly scented variety?
Ah Kate you need to make this quickly and get rid of nasty experimental perfume recipes. You can use any scented rose, the more deeply perfumed the better. Colour is less of an issue, but if you can get dark red, you’ll get a better colour. Also make sure they are unsprayed.
Hi! I was wondering if I could use dried rose petals, the kind used to make teas and infusions. I don’t have roses nor I know people who have, and even though I could buy them, I’m not sure if they will be safe to eat (plus they’re expensive!). But I can easily find dried rose petal and they’re cheap, but not sure if it will be the same. What do you think?
Hi Mia – Hmmm. I’m not sure it would work terribly well with dried rose petals. But having said that, I’d also say it’s worth giving it a go. Just reduce the quantities so you don’t waste anything and make sure you’re rose petals are well scented. If it works, you can make a larger batch. And if you do try, please let me know how it goes/
I love love love rose syrup and have a tonne of ideas of what to do with it and now you have given me a tonne more.
Hooray for roses, they have such a wonderful flavour.
I’ve never tried rose syrup before. new project for me! love the idea oaf it drizzled over ice-cream. yum.
It’s so easy Sarah, all you need to do is find a well scented unsprayed rose or two.
This is a second comment because I can’t tell what has happened to the first. It looks lovely Choclette…and simple enough even for me. Now, I just need to find the rose!
I got your first comment Fiona, but very happy to have a second 🙂
How beautiful. And how I envy you living in Cornwall. I will just have to cultivate my garden (as they say). Meanwhile, what a great little recipe – I wonder what other flowers it would work well with?
Thanks Fiona. As you know, I love living in Cornwall and feel lucky to be back home again. As for the syrup, I’ve tried elderflower and lilac with good results, but rose is my favourite.
I love your presentation in those beautiful glasses!
Thanks CC, although I’m a bit lost as to which glasses you are referring to.
I’ve never made rose syrup, sadly I don’t have a nice dark red rose, only pink ones. Love the look of it and I’m sure it will be featuring in recipes soon.
If your roses are fragrant Janice, do give them a try. You’ll have a pretty pink syrup, and the flavour should be good.
I love rose syrup, if only I had a rose that didn’t have to be sprayed. GG
Oh do you really spray your roses GG? I guess that’s probably why mine never look as good as my grandfathers used to!
The minute I saw this recipe, I knew I had to do it. When we came home from shopping this morning our Scent-Imental striped rose has lost two blooms that were in a blowsy heap of perfect petals on the grass. I now have the most perfectly delicious syrup possible. Thank you!
Ah brilliant, how lovely Jenny. Do you have a picture?
I sure do! I have no clue how to post one here, but if you go to my Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jenny-Eatwells-Rhubarb-Ginger/161388070631031?sk=wall you’ll see it! 🙂
Brilliant Jenny – so glad you like it and I love the two lots of rose petals.
You’re welcome! I shall blog the recipe, with many credits to you of course, because the whole rose-growing and culinary world needs to know! LOL I’ll try very hard to remember to come and let you know when I have. 🙂
Thanks Jenny, that would be great. I’m glad you are as enamoured of the recipe as I am 🙂
Just to let you know I’ve blogged about your recipe, you can see it here : http://jennyeatwellsrhubarbginger.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/rose-syrup-oh-yes-its-thing.html Do let me know if you’d like anything changing!
Thank you Jenny, it’s a lovely post. So pleased you are as enthusiastic as I am about it 🙂
Rose syrup what a nice idea. I have never tried it and I love the idea.
Your blog is getting better and better, I love your new photography and the design of your site.
Thank you Alida, how lovely of you to let me know. I don’t get much in the way of feedback, so this has put a very big smile on my face 😀
I love rose syrup, haven’t made any yet this year, though just made a batch of strawberry and rose petal jam. Such a beautiful colour, and must have a fab aroma too. I can smell it from here. 🙂
Ooh that jam does sound good Galina. Rose and berries make for a fabulous combination.
Wow! this looks fabulous, especially all the ways that you could use it.
Thanks Cheri, the possibilities are endless and just a little can add a subtle flavour to fruit which isn’t always obvious.
I love rose syrup and use it a lot but always buy it, I will book mark and try your recipe.
I’ve never seen rose syrup for sale Nayna, but good to see there is another fan out there 😉
I’ve never used it before. Well I did make my own as a wee girl with water and smooching the petals about, but there was probably still bugs and everything in there. I thought I was making perfume lol! My parents rose bushes didn’t stand a chance.
Haha, sounds like it’s may be time for a 2nd attempt Jac.
It looks so easy! I’d expected it to be some complicated process, somehow. We don’t have any roses, so I’ll have to see if I can ‘borrow’ some from a friend…
Good idea Helen, I’m sure someone will be happy to donate a rose – just make sure they haven’t been sprayed with anything horrid.
I have never tried making rose syrup…this is such a great idea.
Angie, it is one of my favourite things to make and to have on hand – an exotic taste of summer.
What a wonderful idea, I’m so curious to try it on ice cream, sounds delish!!
Thanks Andrea, let me know what you think if you do get to try it on ice-cream – or anything else.
wow…we use rose syrup in lot of desserts in India.
Ooh, I bet you do. I’d be interested to know how you make it?