Rose Pedal Liqueur Recipe
[Best if started early in June]
Pick a dozen or two highly scented roses. Pick them early in the morning, before the sun has drawn out the perfume. Don't pick them the day after a rain. Separate the petals and remove the white and yellow parts from the ends, the stamen region. Be sure the petals are dry, then put them into a glass half-gallon or gallon jar and pour a quart of neutral spirits over them. Cover well and put in a dark place. Stir once or twice a week for about four weeks.
Then take another dozen scented roses and remove the white and yellow parts from the petals. Dissolve 3 cups sugar in 2 cups water in an enamel pot with a well-fitting cover, and put the rose petals into the liquid. Cover the pot, and bring to a boil, then let simmer gently for an hour. Strain both the rose-petal brandy and the rose-petal syrup into a suitable jar, so that the two blend. Cover lightly for about 12 hours, then bottle. Cork well.
