Rose water (or hydrosol) has a myriad of uses — mostly in beauty routines and in the kitchen. It also has applications in magic, making it an all around versatile ingredient to keep around the house. You can buy rose water commercially, though it can be rather expensive (though the same could be said about making it) — and you can’t always be sure about the ingredients used to make it. The following post will explain how to make your own rose water at home. Making your own rose hydrosol gives you the power over the quality of materials you use, and it also allows you to magically charge your water as a powerful potion to use in spells and more.

What you need:
Rose petals (fresh or dried, though fresh is always better)
Clean water
Saucepan with lid
Airtight jar/lid
Germaben preservative (if making a batch you want to save for a while)

Bring approximately 4 cups of water to a boil. Add 4 cups of rose petals to the water (add an extra cup of you’re using dried). Reduce the heat on the pan to a low simmer and then cover it.

Let the rose petals simmer in the pan for approximately 30 minutes, but check the pan frequently to make sure that there is no water loss. if any of the water evaporates, add another cup (or more) to keep the water level just above the petals.

Strain the petals and discard them, pouring the resulting water into the jar. The water should be tinted slightly, depending on the color of roses you’ve used. It should also be fragrant. If the scent is bitter or odorous in any way, then it must be discarded. Be sure you’ve used roses that have not molded, mildewed or “rotted.”

Let the water cool in the jar, uncovered, until it reaches room temperature. Add approximately 6 drops of Germiben II liquid preservative (available online or in many craft supply stores as a preservative) for every eight ounces of resulting rose water. Cover the jar tightly, and keep refrigerated for future use.

Click here to learn about the history of rose water in Bulgaria

Edited to add (7/6/2018): You can also try a “cold infusion” method for making rose water. To do this, simply fill a jar with rose petals and just enough water to cover them. Add whatever preservative you intend on using (whether it be a commercial preservative, vodka or vitamin E) to the jar, and close it tightly.  Leave the jar in your refrigerator anywhere from two days to two weeks, making sure to check it periodically.