For some reason rose petal syrup seems to have gone out of fashion – but there is nothing like it to enhance the flavour of strawberries. It makes them taste like you remember them from your childhood – luscious, sweet and mouth-wateringly. I can’t begin to tell you the difference it makes. The syrup itself smells of the best of summer and brings out the sun in everything you put it on. Fold a couple of tablespoons into softly whipped cream to transform a Victoria Sponge or meringues. Pour over vanilla Ice-cream to lift it to a whole other level.
It’s best to pick the roses when they are blowsy and maybe only a day away from starting to drop their petals. The colour of the rose you choose will effect the colour of the syrup just as the intensity of the roses fragrance will effect the taste of it. I mostly use the pink roses from my rugosa hedge with 2-3 dark scented red roses thrown in to deepen the colour. 120g is about two colanders worth of petals Totally worth it though!
