Can You Freeze Rose Petals?

Rose petals do more than look pretty in the garden. These fragrant petals have a surprising amount of uses. You can use them in teas, in your baking, as decoration or even in homemade soaps and scrubs.

You do have to be careful about which petals you use so make sure you do your homework before picking petals and using them.

But, if you have found a use then you might wonder, can you freeze rose petals in order to use them later?

Yes, you can freeze rose petals. If you want to keep rose petals for use later then freezing is the best way to do this. Keep them airtight and freeze them for up to three months for decoration or one month for consumption.

How To Freeze Rose Petals

Freezing rose petals can be a tricky process. They are delicate by nature and this can mean it can end up going wrong. The most important thing to remember is that you need to keep them as airtight as possible.

You also need to be aware that the rose petals won’t be the same when you take them out of the freezer as they were when they went in. They will have lost a lot of their moisture and will have changed considerably in texture.

There is likely to be some colour loss too. But, if you want to freeze rose petals then here is how.

1. Bag Up
   Grab some freezer bags. You need some that can be kept airtight. Pop your rose petals into the bag.
2. Seal
   Squeeze out as much air as you possibly can. To get it really airtight you can close the bag almost completely, slip a straw into the gap and suck out the air. Remove the straw and then seal the bag immediately.
3. Label
   Label the bag with the date and contents.
4. Freeze
   Pop the rose petals into the freezer. Make sure you put them somewhere where they won’t get damaged. Even when frozen rose petals are brittle and fragile and can damage easily.

2 Tips for Freezing Rose Petals

Now you know how to freeze them, we’ve got our 2 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing rose petals to have the best results:

Consider Use Before Defrosting
Look at your recipe to see if it asks for frozen or fresh rose petals. Some rose recipes will actually call for the petals to be frozen so don’t defrost them without checking. 

Avoid Doing So
Due to the delicate nature of rose petals, they don’t freeze particularly well so it might simply be best to not bother in the first place. 

How Long Can You Freeze Rose Petals?

How long you freeze your rose petals does depend a little on what you plan to do with them when you thaw them out. For cooking, we would recommend that they are frozen for as short a time as possible.

So, try and use them within about a month. For crafts and making cosmetics, you may be able to get away with leaving them in the freezer for up to three months.

You may not want to freeze them at all. Most uses for rose petals work much better with fresh rather than frozen petals.

You Can Freeze Rose Petals for Around 3 Months

How Do You Defrost Rose Petals?

To defrost the best method is slowly. So take them out of the freezer and either pop the rose petals in the fridge or for slightly quicker thawing you can put them on the kitchen side instead.

Check your recipes too, you may be able to use them right from frozen such as this rose petal jam.

Can You Refreeze Rose Petals?

No, you can’t refreeze rose petals. Petals are incredibly difficult, and there is likely to be a lot of degrading and changes in the petals even with one bout in the freezer. They would be unlikely to survive very much at all if you attempted to freeze them for a second time.

The exception to this rule is if you have used rose petals to make something. If the recipe or product you have made is suitable to be frozen then you can get away with freezing them as part of the whole finished product.

Do Rose Petals Freeze Well?

No, rose petals don’t freeze well. This is for many reasons. Petals are delicate and they contain a lot of water. As they freeze this changes the texture considerably. You are also likely to notice changes to the colour and even the taste too.

For this reason, it is best to use your rose petals if you plan to use them in cooking or to make other products. By the time they are mixed in with other ingredients then you won’t notice the changes too much.

Related FAQs

If you’ve still got questions about freezing rose petals or rose in general, then these may help: