How to Dehydrate Rose Petals
Before buying rose petals, consider making your own dehydrated rose petals. Dried rose petals are great for craft projects, decorating your home and weddings. Dehydrate rose petals by either hang drying or microwaving them with silica gel. Hang drying roses is the traditional way to dry the petals but can take several weeks to achieve beautiful petals. Using your microwave to dry the rose petals proves to be the most time efficient method. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Roses
- Shears
- Silica gel
- Microwave safe bowl
- Ruler
- Spoon
- Old container
- Brush
- Airtight container
- Rubber band
- String
- Scissors
- Hanging rack or wire
Instructions
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Microwave Method
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1
Use roses that are not fully in bloom. Find roses that are open ½ to ¾ of an inch.
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2
Remove all but two inches of stem from each rose.
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3
Add ½ inch of silica gel to a microwave safe bowl.
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4
Place the roses bloom down into the silica gel, with the stems sticking up.
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5
Use a spoon to add silica gel around the roses. Surround the roses with the silica gel. Completely immerse the roses with the silica gel.
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6
Microwave the roses for two minutes on the lowest setting.
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7
Allow the roses to sit for two to three hours in the silica gel. If the petals are not completely dry, place the roses back in the microwave for 30 additional seconds.
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8
Remove the roses from the gel and use a brush to remove the silica crystals. Remove the rose petals from the roses and store them in an airtight container. Freeze the roses if keeping longer than a week.
Hang Dry Method
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9
Remove the lower leaves from the roses. Be careful not to stick yourself with the thorns.
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10
Bundle five to eight roses with a rubber band. Place the rubber band at least two inches from the bottom of the stem.
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11
Tie string around the bundled rose stems. Ensure that the string is long enough to hang the roses from a wire or drying rack. Tie the other end of the string to the wire or drying rack. Dry the roses in a dry, dark and warm environment. Let the roses dry for at least two weeks.
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12
Store the dehydrated rose petals in an airtight container.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Experiment with your microwave's time when microwaving the roses because the heat of a microwave often varies among brands.
Always wear a mask, gloves and goggles when handling silica gel.
