The smell of roses captured in an effervescent probiotic drink. This simple fermented rose flower cordial can be made in under two weeks.
Place sugar, citric acid (or lemon juice), and lukewarm water in glass jar (not plastic) then stir until sugar is dissolved. Add rose flowers. Place jar out of the sun in cool indoor environment not warmer than about 71°F. Affix breathable cover (linen cloth or paper towel work well) over top of container with rubber band or string.
Stir mixture vigorously at least twice daily, once in the morning, once at night.
Once you start noticing bubbles, that means the yeasts and lactic acid bacteria are proliferating. At this point, you can begin doing small daily taste tests so you can get a sense of how the fermentation is developing. At first, it will be very sweet. The microbes eat the sugar and the drink becomes less sweet over time, plus nuanced flavors develop.
~14 days is probably the longest you'll want to let your rose ferment go. We strained ours at the end of Day 11, but expect some variation depending on your flavor preferences and/or robustness of your local yeasts. Strain out flowers and place finished ferment in jars in airtight jars in your FRIDGE. The cold temperature arrests fermentation/microbial activity. Do NOT store in airtight jars at room temp or your jars will explode.
Begin drinking immediately as-is or use as a base in mixed drinks. The ferment will continue to slowly "dry" (e.g. lose sweetness and sugar content) the longer they're in the fridge. They're best consumed within 3-6 months but we've drank them 1-2 years later and they're still excellent, albeit far less sweet!
Fermented rose flower cordial https://www.tyrantfarms.com/fermented-rose-flower-cordial-the-ultimate-rose-recipe/