X-Message-Number: 17497
Date: Mon, 10 Sep 2001 04:39:09 -0700 (PDT)
From: Driven FromThePack <>
Subject: Perfuse ye rosewater while ye may....

> Message #17489
> Date: Sun, 9 Sep 2001 12:13:22 -0400 (EDT)
> From: Charles Platt <>
> Subject: rosewater
> 
> Ideally one would hope for independent corroboration
> on the constituents
> of rose water from a contemporary British
> undertaker, but since today is
> Sunday, and I am about to head out to the Alcor AGM,
>  it's not an ideal
> time to start making phone calls.
> 
> Perhaps some British CryoNet reader can call his
> local funeral chapel and
> find the definitive answer to this vital question.


From Hugh Plat's Delights for Ladies
14. To distill Rose-water at Michaelmas, and to have a
good yeeld as at any other time of the yeare. 
In the pulling of your Roses, first divide all the
blasted leaves, then take the other fresh leaves, and
laie them abroad upon your table or windows with some
cleane linnen under them, let them lie three ofr foure
houres, or if they bee dewy, untill the dew be fully
vanished: put these Rose leaves in great stone pottes,
having narrowe mouthe, and well leaded within, (such
as the Goldfiners call their hookers, and serve to
receive their Aqua fortis, bee the best of all others
that I know) and when they are well filled, stop their
mouthes with good corkes, eyther covered all over with
waxe or molten brimstone, and then set your pot in
some coole place, and they will keepe a long time
good, and you may distill them at your best leasure. 
This way you may distill Rosewater good cheape.  If
you buy store of Roses, when you finde a glutte of
them in the market, whereby they are sold for 7 pence
or 8 pence the bushell: you then engrosse the flower. 
And some hold opinion, that if in the midst of these
leaves you put somebroken leaven, and after fill up
the pot with Rose leaves to the toppe, that so in your
distillation of them you shal have a perfect Rose
vinegar, without the addition of any common vinegar. 
I have knowne Rose leaves kept well in Rondlets that
have beene first well seasoned with some hot liquor
and Roseleavs, boiled together, and the same pitched
over the outside, so as no ayre might penetrate or
pearce the vessell. 
15. A Speedy distillation of Rosewater 
Stampe the leaves, and first distill the juice being
expressed and after distil the leaves, and so you
shall dispatch more with one Still than others doe
with three or foure stils.  And this water is every
way as medicinable as the other, serving in all
sirups, decoctions, &c. sufficiently, but not
altogether so pleasing in smell. 

17. How to draw the true Spriti of Roses and so of all
other hearbs and flowers. 
Maccerate the Rose in his owne juice, adding thereto,
beeing temperately warme, a convenient proportion
either of yeast or ferment: leave them a few daies in
fermentation, till they have gooten a strong & heady
smell, beginning to incline toward vinegar: then
distill them in balneo in glasse bodies luted to their
helmes (happily a Limbeck will do better, and rid
faster) and drawe so long as you finde any sent of the
Rose to come: then redistill or rectifie the same so
often till you have purchased a perfect spirit of the
Rose.  You may also ferment the juice of Roses only,
and after distill the same. 

18. An excellent Rosewater 
Upon the top of your glasse bodie, straine a haire
cloth, and upon that lay good store of Roseleaves,
wither drie, or halfe drie: and so your wagter will
ascend verie good both in smell and in colour. 
Distill either in balneo or in a gentle fire in ashes:
you may reiterate the same water upon fresh leaves. 
This may also bee done in a leaden Still; over which,
by reason of the breadth, you may place more leaves. 

19. An excellent way to make the extract of all
Vegetables. 
Expresse a good quantity of the juice thereof, set it
on the fire, and give it only a walme or two, then it
wil grow clear; before it be cooled, poure away the
cleered filter with a piece of cotton, & then
evaporate your filtered juice, till it come to a thick
substance; and thus you shall have a most excellent
extract of the Rose, Gilliflower, &c. with the perfect
sent and taste of the flower; whereas the common way
is to make the extract either by the spirit of wine,
faire water, the water of the plant, or some kind of
menstruum. 

23. Rosewater, & yet the Rose-leaves not discoloured 
You must distill in balneo, and when the bottom of
your pewter Still is thorow hot, put in a few leaves
at once, and distill them: watch your still carefully;
and, as soone as those are distilled, put in more.  I
know not whether your profit will requite your labour,
yet accept of it as a new conclusion. 

24. How to recover Rosewater, or any other distilled
water, that hath gotten a mother and is in danger to
be musty 
Infuse your water upon fresh Roseleaves, or upon Rose
cakes broken all in peeces, and then after maceration
for three or four hours with a gentle fire, redistill
your water.  Do this in a Limbeck, take heed of
drawing too long for burning, unlesse your Lymbeck
stand in balneo. 

25. To draw both good Rosewater, and oyle of Roses
together. 
After you have digested your Rose leaves by the space
of 3 moneths, sicut ante, num. 13. Either in barrels
or in hookers, then distill them with fair water in a
Limbeck: draw so long as you can find any excellent
smell of the Rose, then divide the fattie oyle that
fleeteth on the top of the Rosewater, and so you have
both excellent oyle of Roses, and also good Rosewater
together, and you shall also have more 
water than by the ordinarie way; and this Rosewater
extendeth farther in physicall compositions, and the
other serveth best for perfumes and casting bottles. 
You may also distill the oile of Lignum Rhodium this
way, saving that you shall not need to macerate the
same above 24 houres in your water or menstruum before
you distill; this oile hath a most pleasing smell, in
a manner equall with the oile of Roses. 



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