Rose Sugar

This sugar is delicious sprinkled on fresh berries or used in shortbread cookies that call for confectioners' sugar. It is also wonderful in homemade lemonade.

1 cup tightly packed, unsprayed, fragrant rose petals*
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

Mix together rose petals and sugar in glass or stainless bowl. Cover bowl halfway with plastic wrap. Let stand 2 days in dry place, stirring every day.

Then toss, cover completely with plastic wrap and let stand 4 to 5 days longer or until petals and sugar are dry, stirring every day or so. If sugar has stuck to bottom of bowl, gently tap bowl on counter to loosen.

Process mixture in blender or odor-free coffee grinder in small batches until sugar is powdered and no bits or lumps remain. (If using blender, process sugar in about 3 batches. If sugar has a hard time getting going in blender, shake blender cup with lid on and blend on high. You may need to shake it a couple of times before it gets going.)

Place sugar in glass jar with tight-fitting lid and keep in cool dry place up to about 9 months. Yields about 1 1/2 cups.

* Be sure to use unsprayed rose petals and, after you rinse them, let the petals get thoroughly dry before you add them to the sugar. Old-fashioned and heirloom roses produce very fragrant blooms that will perfume the sugar best.