Orange Flower Water

By MJH

Orange flower water is an ingredient for many Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes and is also used by bakers for cakes and scones.

Ingredients

• Dozen orange flower blossoms
• 1/2 cup distilled water
• clear jar

Details

Adapted from bienmanger.com

Preparation

Step 1

Gather the blossoms.

For safety purposes, only use flowers that are free from pesticides and

Pick the petals off the blossom and grind them using a mortar and pestle.

The point is to crush the petals into a paste.

This will help allow the essential oils to release into the water.

Fill a glass jar with distilled water and add the petals.

The amount of water you will use depends on how many blossoms are available to you.

A good rule of thumb is to use 1/2 cup of water for every dozen blossoms. When in doubt, use less water.

If the orange flower water ends up being too strong, you can always add distilled water later. Let the jar sit in the sun for about a month.

Strain the blossom water into a bowl using a cheese cloth.

You can then transfer the liquid into a smaller sterilized container using a funnel.

Clear jars or empty bottles of vanilla and almond extract work well.

If you store the orange flower water in the cabinet it should last for a year.

When stored in the refrigerator, the essential oil will be usable for up to three years.