As the Victorians discovered way back in the 1800's Scented Geraniums, classified as a herb, have many other uses other than just being ornamental and admired. If you have any culinary recipes, cosmetic, medicinal, herbal or sensory uses, or for the garden and home in general we would love to hear from you. We have also included a list of culinary herbs and their uses which are complimentary to each orther, including scented geraniums.
As we gather further recipes and uses we'll add these to this page.
Garden General
Scented Geraniums are ideal for planting directly in the garden or for use in containers or hanging baskets.
Home General
Potpourri
The simplest of home room fresheners - place a living plant on a sunny window sill and your room will be filled will the most amazing of natural scents. You may change the mood of each room by using different varieties and fragrances.
When you prune back your plants place the leaves in bowls, use individual fragrances or experiment and combine 2 or 3. If you have an excess of leaves place them in a plastic bag and refrigerate and they will keep for a couple of weeks.
Culinary Recipes
Not all scented geraniums are complimentary to culinary use and are mainly used in sweet dishes. Most recipes call for either rose, lemon or mint where the leaves are infused and then later discarded before serving. The leaves are sometimes used as a decorative garnish but it is not advisable to eat them.
Sugar - ideal for sweetening teas or for baking
Rose varieties, in particular, add a delicate but stimulating flavour although other scenteds may be used.
Stack clean, dry leaves in a container between 1" layers of sugar and place in a warm spot for 2 - 4 weeks and then sift out the leaves. Some cooks recommend the leaves are bruised first to release the aromatic oils to impart a fuller flavour. The sugar may be substituted for all or part of the plain sugar required in cakes or icing.
Candied leaves - used for decoration only and not to be eaten
Dip small rose or lemon scented leaves in egg white and coat with sugar to create impressive cake decorations. Let them dry on a rack before using.
Jelly
Infuse the leaves in boiling water and set asidefor the water to take up the scent. Remove the leaves and bring the water back up to the boil and make up your jelly as usual. Imparts a lovely delicate flavour to jellies and apple and rose scenteds are particularly good.
Sponges and Cakes
Place leaves on the bottom of a baking container and pour over the cake mix. Bake as per recipe. Remove the leaves before eating.
Fruit Punches
Flavour drinks with the crushed leaves and leave to infuse before removing them.
Vinegars
Use lemon and rose scented geraniums in sweet vinegar receipes. Add the leaves to the vinegar and store to infuse the flavour. They combine particularly well with lemon verbena, lemon basil and mints.
Ice Cream and Sorbets
Include leaves in a tub of ice cream or sorbet and leave in the freezer for a couple of weeks. Remove the leaves before eating.
Jams
To impart a subtle flavouring to jams use different varieties depending on the fruit being used:
Clear Apple Jam - American Style
4lbs of cooking apples
3 1/2 cups of water
White or preserving sugar - or use scented sugar
Juice of 2 lemons
15 scented geranium leaves of your choice - nutmeg or rose are good
Chop the apples roughly and discard the skin, pips and stalk. Place in a large saucepan with the water and simmer until soft. Strain through a fine sieve or muslin but do not squeeze the pulp through or the jam/jelly will go cloudy - this operation is slow and will take several hours but is worth it. Measure the resulting liquid into a preserving pan and for every 2 cups retained add 1 pound of sugar, add the lemon juice and the scented geranium leaves. Stir over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved and then boil rapidly until you achieve a set. To test for a set, place a small amount on a teaspoon and push back with you little finger until it has a crumpled consistency. Setting takes about 10 minutes. Quickly remove the leaves and pour into clean sterile jars. Cover the jars whilst the mixture is hot and ensure a tight seal.
Cosmetic
Attar of Roses has been widely used in the perfumery industry for many years and is valued for its subtle fragrance.
Rose Water
Combine 15 rose scented geraniums with 200ml of purified water and simmer for 15 minutes
Leave to steep for 4 hours and remove the leaves
Add the infusion to 100ml of Pure Rose Water Hydrolate
Stir in 3 drops of Rose geranium essential Oil and 1 teaspoon of Benzoin Tincture
Bottle and label.
(The Benzoin Tincture acts as a preservative and may be omitted if you do not intend to keep the rose geranium water for an extended period.)
Bath sachets - enclose in a fine material and tie and then hang under the tap when filling the bath.
Facial steams - rose scenteds are excellent. Reputed to have anti-ageing effects on the skin.
Hair rinses - fresh leaves can be infused into water to use as a final hair rinse.
Use with caution if you have sensitive skin as in some people it may cause a mild rash.
Medicinal
Rose geranium is an excellent emotional stimulant and a wonderful mood enhancer.
Combined with sweet almond oil it make a wonderful pick-me-up massage oil.
Herbal
Sensory
Herb Partnerships
Are you confused by which herb to use with vegetables or fruits? We hope the following suggestions help.
Vegetables
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Peas - mint, basil, fennel, salad burnet
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Potatoes - apple mint, dill, fennel, chives, parsley, rosemary
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Carrots - dill, thyme, lovage, parsley, fennel, mint
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Cabbage - caraway, dill, sage
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Beans - savory, parsley, fennel, lovage
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Onion - sage, thyme, garlic, lovage
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Mushrooms - hyssop, salad burnet, thyme, garlic
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Tomatoes - chives, basil, pot marigold, oregano, bay, coriander
Fruits
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Apricot - hyssop, sweet cicely, dill, caraway, sunflower seeds
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Apple - sweet cicely, rosemary, ginger mint, scented geraniums, hyssop, lemon verbena, elderberry, caraway, coriander seeds
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Banana - ginger mint, clove pinks, sweet cicely, lemon geranium
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Gooseberries - elderflower, sweet cicely
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Melon - rosemary, ginger mint, rose, rose geranium
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Oranges - lavender, lemon geranium, lemon balm, ginger mint
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Peaches - rose geranium, clove pinks, lemon thyme
