Shrub Rose Candied Lemons + Syrup

Rose Story Farm is a spectacular rose farm nestled near the California Coast in Carpenteria, California. All of the roses grown on the farm are organic which means I have found an incredible source for many of my rosey recipes. I was able to snag a bunch of the Martine Guillot varietal...pillowy with a subtle pink hue, with a peppery, nutmegy flavor profile. I experimented with the fresh petals and made a scrumptious rose syrup which will show up in a few recipes in the near future. I decided to add lemons to the syrup as well as a touch of maple syrup and made delicious candied lemons. I used these candied lemons as a garnish for homemade sourdough pancakes, and drizzled the lemony, spicy, and succulent syrup atop each stack. I love how complex flowers can be...each varietal tastes so different!It is critical to only use organic petals when cooking. Organic dried rose petals are the easiest to find; you can typically find dried rose petals along with many other dried flowers (lavender, chamomile, calendula, and hibiscus just to name a few) in the bulk section of your local natural foods store. However, if you can find a local grower or can grow organic flowers in your garden, it's also an adventure to experiment with fresh edible flowers...you can also dry the petals yourself. Have fun!Shrub Rose Candied LemonsIngredients:1/2 cup Shrub Rose Simple Syrup (recipe below)3 tablespoons organic maple syrup1 small organic lemon, slicedDirections:Place all ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer. Allow to simmer until the mixture has reduced to a thick syrup, about 10 minutes. Keep a close eye on the mixture as you want to make sure it doesn't splatter everywhere...it would be quite a sticky mess. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Candied lemons are absolutely delicious poured over ice cream, or as I mentioned earlier, atop a stack of delicious sourdough pancakes. Enjoy!Shrub Rose Simple SyrupIngredients:1 cup organic sugar1/2 cup filtered waterApproximately 2 dozen organic, fresh rose petals (I used Martine Guillot Roses) or you can use 3 tablespoons organic, dried rose petalsDirections:Place the sugar and water in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir. Allow the mixture to simmer until the sugar has completely dissolved. Remove from heat and add the rose petals. Allow to steep for 15 minutes. Discard petals. Store in a squeaky clean jar in the fridge and use within a week. Use in cocktails, mocktails, drizzle over yogurt, or use to sweeten your morning cup of coffee.Recipe + Photos by Cassie Winslow