Edible Flower Recipes - Gardens Manitoba



Edible Flower Recipes

Dr. Eva Pip, University of Winnipeg Ret.

e.pip@uwinnipeg.ca

These pretested recipes are designed to make the most of your summer garden, and combine art, nutrition, decadence and social satisfaction all in one dish. They will REALLY impress your guests and your gatherings will be remembered for a long time. DO NOT SUBSTITUTE OR EXPERIMENT WITH OTHER FLOWERS, OF WHICH YOU ARE NOT CERTAIN. Present the food in fancy serving dishes to enhance the visual appeal, and accessories such as candles, flowers in vases and nice table linen are never out of place. Wherever possible, use REAL dishes, glasses, cutlery and cloth napkins to honor your guests, unless you have a very large informal group of people, or it is a come-and-go event, such as a garden tour. Real china must always be used at a tea. Always check that your dishes (especially serving dishes, teapots and pitchers) are food-safe, and are not designed for strictly ornamental purposes with lead or cadmium glazes.

Ascertain that neither your family nor your guests are allergic to any of the ingredients. When I personally invite guests for a meal, I always ask at that time whether they have any allergies. At pot lucks however, this may be problematic. These days wouldn’t it make sense for all potentially allergenic or unconventional ingredients that are not immediately identifiable and obvious, to be labelled at pot lucks, buffets, dinner parties and picnics.

And, always adhere to safe food handling practices and hygiene. Always refrigerate promptly if you are making the dish ahead of time. If it is more than two days ahead of time, freeze it. If it contains fish, meat, dairy, or mayonnaise, present it on a tray or platter of ice if it will be sitting out at a buffet in warm summer temperatures, and never place food for extended periods in the sun. Put out smaller portions at a time, and replenish from the fridge as necessary. Keep hot dishes hot, on a heating tray or in a slow cooker. Cover dishes that will be accessible to flies, dust and other elements: there are elegant clear glass or acrylic domes available that will still show off your food but will keep it safe. Do not use the crafty imported ‘basket’ or woven mesh domes outdoors because they cannot be washed properly and smaller insects and other things can still get through, and some of these covers contain questionable third-world dyes. Remember always to wash all garden largesse before using. But the cardinal rule is: always strive for maximum freshness.

Go Forth and Enjoy! Make People Happy and God Bless!

Bergamot (Monarda)

Bergamot Blue Cheese Pasta (for blue cheese lovers)

250 g egg noodles

1 tbsp grapeseed, sesame, olive or hemp oil

1 tbsp chopped parsley leaves

150-200 g crumbled blue cheese

Petals of 6-8 bergamot flowers

Sea salt and pepper

Cook pasta in boiling salted water until desired level of doneness. Drain. Add oil and parsley. Toss well. Season. Place in serving dish. Sprinkle the blue cheese and bergamot petals on top. Serve immediately.

Carnation or Pinks (Dianthus)

Wine Pears (This is a spectacular dessert)

6 ripe but not mushy pears, peeled but with stalks left intact

300 mL full-bodied red wine such as burgundy

2 tsp brown sugar

16 flowers of garden pinks, green parts removed

Put wine and brown sugar in saucepan. Bring to a boil. Add petals from 10 dianthus flowers. Place peeled pears in wine and simmer for 15-20 minutes, turning pears so that all sides get an even blush color. Remove pears to a plate, and continue to simmer the wine sauce until it is reduced to a thick syrup. Let cool.

Place a pear in the center of a beautiful individual serving dish or plate, and pour syrup over pear so that it pools around the base of the fruit. Garnish with a dianthus flower (green parts removed). If desired, a dollop of whipped or vanilla ice cream may be added on the side.

Nasturtium

Nasturtium salad

Mixed mesclun and lettuce leaves to serve 6

1 cup sweet seedless grapes, cut into halves (red or purple look the best)

20-30 nasturtium flowers, stems removed

For dressing, combine 2 tbsp grapeseed oil, 1 tsp prepared mustard, 1 tsp wine vinegar

Salamagundy

This is a variation on a very old historical dish, dating back at least to medieval times, which is suitable for a cold buffet. You can use any combination of ingredients that you have on hand, when you need to feed a self-serve crowd – a meal in itself. The following is an example.

Chopped cold cooked chicken

Chopped cooked pork

Chopped hard-boiled eggs with mustard and mayonnaise

Chopped or flaked cooked salmon

Chopped cucumber with onion and sour cream

Chopped apples

Rice, cooked in orange juice

Sliced pickles and olives

Potato salad

Mixture of chopped lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, carrots, celery, radishes

Nasturtium flowers, and various herb flowers (mint, marjoram, summer savory, thyme)

Take a LARGE flat pan or tray. Arrange the respective ingredients in parallel stripes in pan. Sprinkle with flowers.

Nasturtium and Herb Flower Turkey Stuffing

¼ cup butter or margarine

1 chopped medium onion

2 chopped apples

1 ½ cups breadcrumbs

1 tbsp marjoram flowers

1 tbsp mixed herb flowers (rosemary, thyme, sage, basil)

4 tbsp chopped nasturtium flowers

2 tbsp dried cranberries

Salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter in pan. Add chopped onions and sauté until soft and transparent (about 2 minutes). Add apples and cook another 1-2 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients. Season and stuff turkey. Roast turkey at 325 F. until done. Serve on large oval platter, surrounded by potatoes and carrots, garnished with whole nasturtium flowers.

Nasturtium Aspic Salad

12 or more nasturtium flowers

1 cup shredded cabbage or bok choi

½ cup shredded carrots

1 package lime-flavored jello powder

Cool transparent glass serving bowl in refrigerator.

Prepare jello according to package directions, and place in refrigerator. Let cool until it just starts to thicken. Remove jello and the cold empty serving bowl from refrigerator. Pour in jello to a depth of 2-3 cm in the bowl. Chill in refrigerator. (Leave rest of jello out on kitchen counter so it doesn’t set). Take serving bowl out of refrigerator when jello layer is reasonably firm. Spread cabbage and carrot mixture on top. Pour in another layer of jello to cover vegetables. Let set in refrigerator. Remove and arrange nasturtium flowers on top. Carefully pour rest of jello over flowers. Let set in refrigerator. When ready to serve, garnish with additional nasturtium flowers.

If you are making larger quantities (in a large transparent bowl) you can alternate layers of lemon, orange and lime jellos for additional vavoom. Or you may also make the salad in individual wine glasses or clear glass serving bowls. Just ensure that the beautiful layers are visible through the sides.

Stuffed Nasturtiums

18 large nasturtium flowers, of various bright colors

1 package cream cheese

3 tbsp mayonnaise or Miracle Whip

¼ chopped walnuts

1 tbsp finely chopped red or green pepper

2 tbsp finely chopped cucumber (no seeds)

½ tsp chopped fresh dill

2 tsp mixed herb flowers such as basil, summer savory, oregano

18 chive flowers (if still available when the above are flowering), if not, use your pickled chive flowers.

Soften cream cheese and combine with mayonnaise. Add walnuts, peppers, cucumber, dill and herb flowers. Mix and roll into 18 balls. Place a ball into each nasturtium flower. Press a chive flower into surface of each ball. If chive not available, you can use a mustard, radish, pak choi or scarlet runner bean flower (you may even want to have a variety). Arrange on platter, cover and keep chilled until serving. Makes a knockout appetizer.

Deep-fried Nasturtium Khrustyky (My nouveau take on an ancient Ukrainian snack)

1 1/3 cups all purpose flour

3 tbsp honey

2 eggs

2 tbsp margarine or butter

1 tbsp rum

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tbsp nasturtium petals

1 tbsp finely chopped walnuts

2 tbsp dried blueberries

Salt, nutmeg, cinnamon to taste

Oil for deep-frying

Blend ingredients just until a soft ball of dough is formed. Add flour if dough is too sticky. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Divide dough into sections and keep in fridge. Roll out each section into thin sheet on floured surface. Cut the dough into strips about 7-8 cm long and form into knot. Heat oil to 350 F. and deep fry until golden-brown. Drain on paper towels. Shake in plastic bag with flowered (see below) icing sugar.

Pot Marigold (Calendula)

(NOT French or African marigold Tagetes)

Special Company Fish Fillets

Cooked goldeye, halibut, or trout fillets to serve 4 (or other mild fish)

2 cups mesclun leaves, or tender lettuce leaf mixture

1 tbsp small carnation or pinks flower buds (Dianthus)

Petals of 8-10 calendula flowers, green parts removed

For dressing, combine 1 tbsp wine vinegar, 2 tsp fresh grated horseradish, and 1 tbsp grapeseed oil.

Place fillets on mesclun leaves, sprinkle with carnation buds, and drizzle with dressing.

Sprinkle with calendula petals.

Calendula Risotto

2 tbsp margarine or butter

1 chopped medium onion

1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

3 1/3 cups chicken or mushroom broth (Campbell’s or Co-op)

1 ½ cups rice (not instant)

½ cup calendula petals

Sea salt and pepper to taste

Melt margarine in 2 qt pot. Add chopped onion and cook until soft and transparent. Add mushrooms and cook about 3 minutes, stirring to keep from sticking. Stir in rice. Heat the broth, and add in several portions to the rice, while stirring. Add about half of the calendula petals. Cover and simmer for 25 minutes or until desired level of doneness. Season. Serve immediately, sprinkled with remaining calendula petals.

Baked Potatoes with Calendula and Watercress

4 large Yukon Gold baked potatoes

2 tbsp mayonnaise

2 tbsp sour cream

1 small chopped onion

2 tbsp calendula petals

2 tbsp chopped watercress or mesclun mixture

Sea salt and pepper to taste

Split cooked baked potatoes. Combine remaining ingredients. Smother potatoes with mixture and serve immediately. Garnish with calendula flowers (green parts removed).

Eva’s Insanely Easy Corn and Calendula Fritters (a satisfying lunch before your nap)

Gluten free

1 can creamed corn (Green Giant preferred)

3 eggs

¼ cup low-fat milk

2 tbsp rice flour

2 tbsp small-grind buckwheat groats (if you don’t have, increase amount of flour)

1 tbsp calendula petals

Mix all ingredients together in large bowl. Fry like thick pancakes in grapeseed oil until browned on each side and interior is not runny. Serve warm with generous portion of sour cream. Can be garnished with nasturtium flowers for company, if you are not eating all of them yourself.

Moroccan Chicken with Roses and Calendula (see below under Rose)

Calendula Tea-Cake

1 cup butter or margarine

¾ cup icing sugar

4 eggs, beaten

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

½ cup chopped walnuts

½ cup chopped prunes

3 tbsp fresh calendula petals

½ tsp orange or vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Grease one loaf pan.

Cream the butter/margarine and sugar. Gradually blend in the beaten eggs. Mix together flour and baking powder, and fold into butter/margarine mixture. Add walnuts, prunes, petals and flavoring extract. Mix until blended. Spoon into loaf pan and bake for approximately 1 hour, or until top is lightly browned and a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes. Garnish with crystallized flowers (see below). Best when served while still warm, but may be frozen for later use.

Calendula Lemon Cookies

½ cup margarine or butter

½ cup sugar

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

2 cups flour

2 ½ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

1 cup chopped pecans

8 calendula flowers

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Grease a cookie sheet.

Cream butter and sugar. Add lemon juice and vanilla. Blend in eggs. Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Blend into egg mixture. Add calendula petals and pecans.

Drop spoonfuls of dough onto cookie sheet. Bake about 15 minutes, until lightly browned. Each cookie may be iced and topped with a flower of calendula, pansy, miniature rose (all green parts removed), or sprinkled with petals of edible flowers.

Pansy

Confetti Pasta

250 g pasta such as spirals or egg noodles

1 tbsp grapeseed or olive oil

½ red pepper, ½ yellow pepper, ½ green pepper, cut into narrow slices

1 apple, cored, peeled and chopped

1-2 tbsp crumbled cheddar

1 tbsp pansy petals

Sea salt and pepper

Cook the pasta in boiling salted water until desired level of doneness. Drain, cover and keep warm.

Heat oil in skillet. Add peppers and apple. Cook quickly for 2-3 minutes. Mix into pasta. Add crumbled cheddar and stir. Season. Serve immediately, sprinkled with pansy petals.

Rose

Morroccan Chicken with Roses and Calendula

2 cups long grain rice (not instant)

1 ½ tbsp grapeseed or olive oil

1 medium chopped onion

1 tbsp chive flowers (if still available, if not, use pickled)

¼ cup chopped dried apricots

2 tbsp slivered almonds

1 tbsp cinnamon

1.5 kg boned, skinned chicken, cut into stir-fry strips

1 tbsp fragrant rose petals (e.g. Hansa)

1 + tbsp calendula petals

1 tsp rose petal jam (see below)(if not using, increase amount of rose petals)

Sea salt and pepper to taste

Cook the rice in boiling salted water until just tender. Drain, cover and keep warm.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in skillet. Add onion and sauté for about 2 minutes until transparent. Add apricots, almonds and cinnamon. Stir-fry for 1-2 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon and stir into the rice. Cover and keep warm

Add the rest of the oil to skillet. Add chicken strips and stir-fry until tender. Mix chicken into rice. Stir in rose petal jam (if using). Season to taste.

Place mixture into a beautiful shallow dish. Sprinkle with rose and calendula petals.

Serve immediately. The aroma is to die for.

Summer Refresher Salad for Two

2 oranges, peeled and segments cut into bite-size pieces

2 cups diced watermelon

2 tsp honey

Petals from 4 individual rose geranium flowers (or to taste)

Petals from 1 multipetalled rose flower, or 2-3 wild rose flowers

Toss together oranges, watermelon and honey. Sprinkle with petals and flowers.

Secret Strawberry Rose Cream Cake

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ cup margarine or butter

½ cup icing sugar

2 eggs

2 cups whipping cream

Rose flower infused sugar (see below), amount according to taste

450 g fresh strawberries, sliced (with a few reserved whole for decoration)

2 tbsp fragrant rose petals

White or pink strawberry flowers for garnish, green parts removed

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Grease two 20 cm spring-form pans.

Cream sugar and margarine until fluffy. In a separate bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Gradually beat the eggs into the margarine mixture. Fold in the flour.

Divide the batter between the two baking pans, and bake about 25 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

Remove cakes from pans and cool on wire rack.

When cakes have cooled, whip the cream until thick. Add some flower infused sugar (see below) and even cocoa powder to the cream during whipping, to taste (but leave enough for the cake). Divide the cream in half.

To one half of the cream, add 1 tbsp rose petals. Spread the mixture on top of one cake, and top with a single layer of strawberry slices. Place the other cake on top. Cover cake with the other half of the cream. Top with rest of strawberries and sprinkle with remaining rose petals. Decorate with a few whole strawberries, whole rose flowers and strawberry flowers.

Serve on glass plate or cake stand with more rose petals sprinkled around base of cake. This is for when you really want to impress. Remember to refrigerate promptly.

Eva’s Special Rose Rosé Punch

Place 2 L chilled dry blush or rosé wine in a glass punch bowl. Add a 2 L bottle of ginger ale, and a 2 L bottle of carbonated spring water. Sprinkle a generous handful of whole raspberries and a few handfuls of fragrant rose petals of various colors. Add ice cubes (ice cubes containing flowers may be used for extra bling). Garnish with floating lemon and orange slices, pansies and miniature rose flowers. This makes a very nice, not too strong refresher for elegant summer garden parties or evening get-togethers. For another variation, you can use fruit-flavored wines such as Zinfandels and Merlots. Serve in clear wineglasses to best show off the color.

Non-Alcoholic Fruit Flower Punch

1 can frozen pineapple juice

1 L ginger ale

2 L carbonated bottled spring water

½ cup water

2-3 tbsp rose petal jam (see below)

Combine first three chilled ingredients in glass punch bowl. Heat the ½ cup water with the jam until jam is dissolved. Cool and add to punch. Add ice cubes. Garnish with rose petals and float various edible flowers such as pansies, calendula and dianthus. Or you may use rose petals and thinly sliced orange slices and whole flowering rosemary and mint sprigs.

Squash and Pumpkin Blossoms

Stir-Fried Chicken with Squash Flowers

1 kg boned, skinned chicken, cut into strips

1 tbsp grapeseed or olive oil

2 tbsp sweet and sour stir-fry sauce

6 small garden onions, cut in half lengthwise

½ red pepper, cut into narrow strips

½ cup sliced fresh or frozen mushrooms

2 crushed garlic cloves

200 g green string or runner beans, cut into strips lengthwise, strings removed

8 squash or zucchini flowers

Heat the oil and stir-fry sauce in a non-stick skillet. Add onions, red pepper, mushrooms, garlic and green beans. Stir-fry for 3 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon and keep warm. Place chicken in skillet, adding more stir-fry sauce if necessary. Cook until tender. Add squash flowers and cook for another 30-40 seconds, gently pushing the flowers around until just starting to wilt. Add to vegetable mixture and serve immediately. Note: make sure the beans are cooked, do not serve raw.

Herb flowers

Fish Kabobs with Herb Flowers

1 kg fresh fish fillets (such as haddock, pickerel, sole), cut into 3 cm squares

1 yellow, 1 red pepper, 1 green pepper, cut into 3 cm squares

10 small garden onions

20 fresh crimini mushrooms, washed and stalks removed (white mushrooms also work,

but crimini are more tasty)

2-3 tbsp mixed thyme (lemon thyme is best), mint, lemon verbena flowers

Marinade

½ cup grapeseed or olive oil

1 tsp dry mustard

Juice from 1 lemon

2 crushed garlic cloves

Sprinkle basil leaves

Sea salt and pepper

Combine marinade ingredients in glass bowl. Place kebob ingredients into bowl and toss well with marinade. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Alternate the kebob ingredients onto bamboo skewers. Each skewer will include at least 1 onion. Sprinkle well with the mixed herb flowers.

Cook on hot barbecue or over coals, turning once, until fish is flaky. Decorate with fresh herb flowers.

Herbed Flowered Barbecued Herring (or other fish)

8 fresh herring fillets (or other fish)

2 tbsp grapeseed or olive oil

1 tbsp rosemary flowers

1 tbsp lemon thyme flowers

2 tbsp lemon verbena flowers

8 small sprigs rosemary (about 5 cm long)

8 small sprigs lemon thyme (about 5 cm long)

Sea salt and pepper

4 slices garlic toast

Brush fillets with oil. Roll in flower mixture, pressing flowers into surface. Place 1 sprig each of rosemary and lemon thyme on the end of each fillet, and roll up the fillet around the sprigs, securing with wooden pick. Season. Cook on barbecue or over coals, turning once, until fish is done.

Serve hot with a slice of hot garlic toast.

Eva’s No-Calorie Tomato Salad

Slice your fabulous heirloom tomatoes, ripened in the garden, into a glass bowl (looks most attractive if you use about 1 each of white, yellow, orange, red, striped, purple and black tomato). But you can use whatever juicy ones you have. Add one finely chopped juicy medium purple onion from the garden.

Sprinkle with 1 tbsp fresh mint flowers and finely chopped mint leaves. Add 1 tbsp (or to taste) white vinegar (or herb flower infused vinegar, see below) and toss. Served chilled. Especially good served with potatoes.

Flower Vinegars

Edible flowers may be steeped in vinegar to provide wonderful home-made flavored vinegars. Although vinegar is in itself a preservative, it is important that everything you use for steeping be as dry as possible, otherwise moisture can cause the vinegar to become cloudy. Therefore flowers and herbs must be dried before they are used for steeping. You can air-dry between paper towels, or use a food dehydrator. Suitable flowers include nasturtiums, carnations/dianthus, roses, mint, basil, rosemary, and thyme. Addition of juniper berries, rosemary sprigs or dried chili peppers gives an extra dimension, and looks particularly attractive. Wrapped with ribbon, you may wish to give these bottles as gifts.

There are two schools of thought regarding the steeping/aging process. One school holds that the vinegar should be heated on the stove (NEVER allowed to boil) to allow a better infusion of the aromatic oils. Others advocate the cold process, which uses no heat at any stage, since some aromatic oils are destroyed by heat. This process takes longer (3-4 weeks). Remember to use GLASS bottles ONLY.

Basic Flower Vinegar

Sterilize a 500 mL glass jar. Place 3-4 dried calendula flowers, 10-12 nasturtium flowers, and 1 thin piece of lemon in the jar. Add ½ tsp whole peppercorns. Add 2 cups white or wine vinegar.

Seal jar and place on kitchen counter (away from sunlight) for 3 weeks. Shake jar occasionally. When flavors have steeped, strain (you can use a tea strainer or coffee filter). Place in stainless steel or glass (NOT aluminum or copper) saucepan and heat until liquid starts to simmer. DO NOT BOIL. Pour into sterilized GLASS bottle and cap tightly. For a more attractive and professional appearance, you may want to put some whole dried flowers and herb sprigs into the bottle. Store in cool, dark place. The flavor is best 3-12 months after preparation.

Blue Vinegar

Remove all green parts from purple pansy or violet flowers and dry. Steep for 4 weeks in a capped glass bottle or jar of cider or red wine vinegar, at room temperature on kitchen counter.

Syrups

Rose Syrup

Steep 2 cups fragrant rose petals in 2 ½ cups hot water for 1 hour. Pour through strainer. Add 2 cups sugar. Heat gradually, making sure all sugar has dissolved before mixture boils. Boil uncovered for 4 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.

Flower Sugar

Only TWO ingredients: sugar and your choice of flower petals, e.g. rose or lavender or violet or mint. It is best to keep each aroma separate.

Mix sugar vigorously with petals and pour into a tightly sealed jar. Let stand in a dark place for several weeks or months to infuse the aroma. Exercise willpower to keep yourself from opening it too soon.

Jams and jellies

Flower petal jams and jellies look fabulous with the petals, or herb sprigs suspended in the jelly. They make excellent homemade Christmas gifts.

Some tips:

• Make sure sugar is completely dissolved before the boiling point is reached, otherwise it may crystallize in the jar

• Boil jam fast to obtain a good set

• Remember the jam increases in volume as it cooks, so make sure you use a larger pot

• Do not use aluminum or copper-lined pots because the acidity of the jam will leach out metals into the food. Stainless steel or Corning glass is best.

• To test for doneness, place a small amount of jam on a cold plate taken from the refrigerator. The setting point has been reached if a wrinkled skin appears on the surface. If it does not wrinkle when prodded, boil longer and test again.

Traditional Rose Petal Jam

This recipe is centuries old. It does not reduce well to smaller amounts. There should usually be enough pectin in the petals, but try it with your own roses. If it comes out too runny, you can add some pectin powder next time.

Approximately 1 kg fresh fragrant rose petals

2 cups sugar

Juice of ½ lemon

Reserved rose petals

Boil a pot of water (about 3 cups) and turn off heat. Pack the kg of rose petals into the water and leave to steep for 2 hours. Strain.

Place 2 ½ cups of the strained liquid into a pot and add the sugar. Place over low heat and stir until all the sugar has dissolved. Add the lemon juice and some reserved petals. Bring to a boil and continue to boil until setting point has been reached (see above). Remove from heat, add rest of petals and mix well. Let stand 5 minutes. Pour into sterilized jars and seal.

Astonishing No-Cook Rose Petal Jam (For the lazy lady or lounging gentleman)

1 tightly packed cup of wild rose petals (or other fragrant deep-colored rose), with the white bases snipped off (important)

¾ cup + ¾ cup water

Juice of 1 lemon

2 ½ cups sugar

1 package pectin powder

In a blender, puree the petals with ¾ cup water and lemon juice, until smooth. While blender is running, gradually add the sugar. Blend until sugar is completely dissolved. In a small saucepan, combine the pectin powder and ¾ cup water. Bring to a boil and boil vigorously for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and pour into the rose mixture in the blender. Blend on a slow speed until everything has been thoroughly mixed. Immediately pour into small sterilized glass jars. Seal and let stand on the kitchen counter for 6 hours. This can then be stored in the refrigerator for up to a month, or it can be frozen and used as a fabulous treat in winter. As the petals are not boiled in this recipe, the flavor and aroma of the resulting jam is more intense than for the cooked variety.

Crystallized Flowers

Crystallized flowers were very popular during Victorian times, but have become a lost art for a variety of reasons. Home-bound Victorian ladies had more time on their hands for genteel pursuits, and, like needlepoint and watercolor painting, gardening (or at least, flower picking) was a suitable accomplishment for the proper upper-class lady. The lady’s maid, butler and other servants were available to assist, should the task become too onerous. Stately aristocratic homes abounded with flowers picked every day from the cutting garden and personally arranged by the lady of the house. This lifestyle has since vanished, except for a few of the very wealthy, but THEY aren’t interested in making crystallized flowers anyway, when they can be bought on the internet by one’s housekeeper or hired dogsbody.

Another reason why crystallized flowers have fallen by the wayside is that traditional processing methods involved dipping the flowers into raw egg white. In today’s world, where Salmonella is often present right inside commercially produced eggs, consumption of raw egg products is not advisable.

The method below does not use raw eggs, and is therefore much safer. This method also allows for a longer storage life of the crystallized flowers. They are outstanding as decoration on cakes and desserts. Just make sure you are using flowers that are unequivocably safe to eat!

Modernized method for crystallized flowers

Pick the flowers, and place between paper towels to dry completely in a dark place. A dehydrator may be used to speed up the process. Traditionally, pansies have been most popular, but you can experiment with other edible species such as hollyhocks, roses and fuchsia. The flowers must be free of moisture before they can be dipped.

In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup sugar, ¼ cup water and a pinch of cream of tartar. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Do not allow to burn. Remove from heat and let cool.

Dip the dried flowers in the syrup and place on a rack. Allow to air-dry for 2 hours, gently moving the flowers occasionally to prevent sticking. Set oven to “warm” setting. Place rack on baking sheet and put into the oven to dry completely. Drying time will vary from overnight to a couple of days, depending on the flowers. There should be no flexibility remaining. A food dehydrator may be used instead. The finished flowers may be stored in a sealed jar or tin, in a cool dark place. They can keep this way for up to one year. They can also be stored in the freezer. Use to decorate cakes, desserts, cookies.

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