Makes: 1,5 litre
Preparation and cooking time: 10 minutes, plus standing time

• 750ml tightly packed fresh dark-pink rose petals
• 750ml (635g) white sugar
• pink food colouring
• rose essence

1 Put the petals into a large saucepan that has a tight- fitting lid.

2 Bring 1,5 litres of water to the boil, then remove from the heat and pour over the petals. Cover with a lid and set aside until the water is cold. Squeeze the water out of the rose petals and discard the petals.

3 Heat the rose water in a saucepan along with the sugar. Stir until the sugar has just dissolved, but don’t boil. Add a drop or two of food colouring. Taste the syrup to make sure the rose flavour is strong enough and if not add a drop or two of rose essence. Bottle in sterilised bottles.

4 Add the rose syrup to soda water, lemonade or cocktails for a refreshing drink; drizzle over desserts or bakes; pour over cubes of watermelon or other fruit; or add to ice cream or milkshakes.

Packaging Look on the internet, or at your library or second-hand bookshops, for old-fashioned illustrations of roses. Photocopy the illustrations onto white paper, cut out and use spray glue to affix to glass bottles.

Text and image source: Ideas magazine