Julia Altshuler wrote:
>
> Charles Gifford wrote:
>
> > As long as you don't spray them they will be fine. I used to enjoy rose
> > petal and mayonnaise sandwiches when I was young. Now I only occasionally
> > use them in salads or as decoration.
>
> Uh-oh. You would have thought the rose bushes were safe from my cooking
> mania, but they turn out to be a fruit garden afterall. When do I pick
> them for cooking? When they're fully ripe, um, er, flowered and falling
> off the stem? Or earlier?
>
> --Lia

They seem to have the most flavour when the rose has just opened fully,
but the petals haven't curved backwards yet. So definitely before they
are ready to fall off.
Might vary with the type of rose and the climate. Pick them first thing
in the morning.