Regional Growing Guide: Northern & Central Midwest
Harsh winters and humid summers are the greatest challenges to growing roses in our nation's midsection. Preventive measures in the northern states are extreme. In fall, the "Minnesota tip" involves loosening the roots, digging a trench, then tipping over the rose and burying it beneath leaves, branches and straw. In southern states, gardeners who can't rely on snow to insulate their roses wrap them in rings of newspaper filled with mulch. Planting cold-hardy roses helps ensure success, as does selecting new hybrid teas, floribundas and shrub roses that bear thick, waxy leaves and have been bred to resist disease.
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Recipes
Rose Petal Honey
Collect one handful of unsprayed fresh rose petals of any color and wash and dry them gently. Place in a pint jar. Heat one cup mild honey, such as orange blossom, in a non-reacting pan until warm to the touch. Do not boil. Pour the honey over the rose petals, put a lid on the jar and put in a dark, cool spot for several days.
Decant the honey by heating the jar in a pan full of water, and then pouring the honey through a sieve to catch the rose petals. Use the honey for a little bit of romance in your tea or over warm scones.
Rose Hip-Apple Jelly
Ingredients
3 quarts ripe rose hips, washed and trimmed
3 tart medium-size apples, cored and chopped
5 cups water
1 cup dry white wine
3 rounded teaspoons Fruit-Fresh or ascorbic acid or 3 tablespoons lemon juice
6-1/2 cups sugar
5 drops red food coloring (optional)
1 package (1-3/4 ounces) powdered Sure-Jell or other powdered fruit pectin
Preparation
Wash, air dry, trim, halve, and remove seeds from rose hips. Combine hips with apple, water, wine, and Fruit-Fresh in a large stainless steel or enamel pan. Boil until apple is soft and the hips begin to split, or about 15 to 20 minutes.
Crush apples and hips and boil a bit longer. Remove from heat and process in a blender or food processor. Strain solids through a jelly bag. This should yield about 5 cups of juice. If not, add additional wine to make 5 cups.
Return juice to a clean pan, add food coloring, if desired, and bring back to a rolling boil. Continue boiling for 5 minutes. Stir in Sure-Jell and bring back to a full boil (one that cannot be stopped by stirring).
Add sugar and bring back to another full boil. Stirring constantly, boil 1 to 2 minutes longer. Remove any foam as necessary.
Ladle into sterilized jars to within 1/4-inch of the rim. Cap and band jars immediately, then turn jars upside down for 10 minutes. Turn over and wait to hear the "pop." Label and date.
Makes seven half-pint jars.