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The Stylish Gardener

Infusing Rose Oil

11/20/2014

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Up until about a week ago, my roses were putting on a nice Fall display of blooms.  But as the days grew shorter and the nights turned colder, I knew the end was coming.  I wanted to make a final batch of rose-infused oil before it was too late, so I decided to take action before I lost the last of those fragrant, vitamin-rich petals.

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Roses are extremely high in vitamin C and have been used in beauty treatments for centuries.  When rose petals are infused in olive oil, they release their beneficial properties into the oil, which can then be applied to the skin.  Whether used on it's own, added to lotions, or used in balms, rose-infused oil is a wonderful skin enhancer.  It's excellent for dry or sensitive skin, can help alleviate redness, and has been shown to counteract the effects of aging. 

That last part is what sold me on it.  Does that make me shallow?

Oh well, I don't care.  Especially when it keeps me from buying all those expensive anti-aging creams at the store!  I like saving money.


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And for me, saving money means gleaning from the garden. 

So, I slipped on my garden gloves, grabbed a basket and my clippers, and made a beeline to the rose bushes.

Actually, I didn't really need my clippers because once I grasped the blossoms, the petals simply fell off into the basket.  I guess when they saw my shiny clippers coming, they figured they might as well surrender.   Smart move.


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I brought the basket inside and left the petals to dry for a few days.  I wanted to remove a little bit of the moisture, so there would be no chance of mold forming later on.  Every once in a while I gave them a shake just to get some air circulating around them. 


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Once the petals had dried out slightly, they were ready to go into a jar.  I had enough petals to fill a pint-sized mason jar, and so that's what I did.  I'm a practical person.

I then poured enough olive oil over them to completely cover all the petals. 


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The next step was to set the rose-filled jar into a pan of warm water (about 100 degrees) on the stove burner.   There it would stay for the next three hours or so, while the heat infused the oil with the fragrant essence of the roses. 

This is actually the shortcut method--and I'm all about shortcuts.  But the other option is to cap the jar and let it set in the windowsill for 3-4 weeks, allowing the sunlight to slow-infuse the oil. 

I do this when there is actually sunlight coming steadily through my window for 3-4 weeks at a time.  However, this time of year
it's hard to come by that much sunlight for that length of time.

Thank goodness I had that other option.  Plan B's come in handy a lot at my house.


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I went about my other chores, checking and maintaining the water temperature from time to time.  Then, later that afternoon, it was finally straining time.


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I like to use a tea strainer and a measuring cup to do this.  Basically the goal is to filter the infused oil off of the petals and into another container. 

There are many ways to do this task, but these tools seem to do the job well for me.  The tea strainer catches the petals and particles while allowing the oil to flow through, and the measuring cup shows me how much oil I end up with.  


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I start by pouring the oil from the jar into the strainer, and as the petals flow out, I take my fingers and press them down.  This squeezes the oil-soaked petals and gets as much of the infused oil out as possible.  

And it makes my fingers smell all nice and rosy.  Bonus!
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After the straining is done, I'm left with my finished product:  Liquid rose-scented gold. 

The pint-size jar of rose petals netted me about 10 ounces of rose-infused oil, and I was very pleased with that amount.   I could feel my skin yearning for it already.

But my skin had to be patient.  Although, I did have a special treat in mind for later...


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And it involved all those oil-drenched petals that were left over after the straining. 

Since I'm not a professional rose oil infuser-ista, I'm never able to get every last bit of oil out of the petals.  I can't stand to toss them away, so I leave them on the counter until nighttime, and then (here's the kicker) I add them to my nice warm bath.  The 
petals release such a heavenly scent when immersed in the steaming water, and the olive oil is extremely moisturizing.  The soothing effects are nothing short of glorious.  Do I hear angels singing?

The ancient Greeks used to bathe this way, and so of course, I have to also. 
It's all very goddess-like.  I said goddess-like.  As in, I would like to be a goddess.

I think I have a long way to go...but it's a job I just might accept if offered. 

Who wouldn't, if they get to bathe like that?!


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Gathering Marigolds

11/8/2014

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The growing season is winding down on the homestead, and this morning I heard the weatherman say those three inevitable words:  Hard Freeze Warning.  

As a gardener, I take that as my cue to get out to the garden and harvest the last of my herbs and flowers before the killing freeze finishes them off for the season.  Today's chore was to gather the last of the marigold blooms. 
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I like to grow marigolds because first of all, I think they're pretty.  But they also are great companion plants in the garden because they help deter pests.  In addition, they have antiseptic properties and can be used medicinally if needed.  The best part about marigolds, though, is that they are edible--at least the petals are.  They don't have a very strong flavor, but I like to toss them in a salad or on top of a casserole to add a unique punch of color. 

As much as I like eating my marigolds, there are some who enjoy them even more than I do...

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You guessed it, it's my chickens!  Notice that gorgeous yellow color on those marigold flowers... well, when fed to the flock, they actually increase the yellow color of the yolks in the eggs they lay!  

It's for that very reason that marigolds can actually be found in the ingredient list on many commercial chicken feeds.  In South America they grow massive fields of marigolds that are designated specifically for chicken feed!  That sounds like my kind of country...

My chickens free-range throughout the warm months, and so they have an endless supply of bugs, grubs, and greens to forage from around the homestead.   The yolks of their eggs are naturally a dark orange color because of their healthy food choices.  But their winter meal options are a bit more limited, so I spice up their feed mix with these lovely little flowers. 

But in order to have some to feed them, I first have to get them harvested.  
It's a simple process, but there are a few necessary steps involved...
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First I head out to the patch and scope out the best flowerheads.  The biggest blossoms seem to dry the best, and I look for the ones that are in the midst of full bloom.  Any that are tiny or past their peak I leave for the birds. 
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It's really easy to snap off the flower head, and I don't even need to use clippers.  I just grasp the stem in my fingers and use my thumb and index finger to pinch off the head in one quick motion.  It makes a nice crisp snapping sound that's somehow very satisfying to me.

I like sound effects.
Call me crazy.
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Then I transfer the whole flowers into trays, make sure the flowers are spread in a single layer, and set them in the greenhouse to dry.  Sometimes I take my scissors and snip off the petals before spreading them out to dry.  It just depends on what kind of mood I'm in.  The chickens don't mind to peck at a whole flower with seeds intact, but if I'm going to use the marigolds to make potpourri or a body scrub, I only need the petals.   It just works better that way.
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After about a week, I check the petals to make sure all the moisture has evaporated.  

The final step is to fill up any spare mason jar I can find with these lovely flowers.  I store them with all my other dried herbs and seeds, and I use them as needed throughout the winter. 

And since marigold petals retain their hues even after being dried, they add a nice cozy pop of color to my herb shelf.  When I glance that way on a cold blustery day, I feel a little warmer inside.  Every little bit helps, right??!

At least the chickens seem to agree with me.

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    My Chores...

    As much as I'd like to spend all my time in the garden, there's a lot of other chores to do around the homestead.  Here's a peek into my routine.

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