the cultivar, before the petals drop to collect any you’d like to dry or use. Here in Maine, that happens in the end of May, but full bloom can happen mid-April in more southern states like Virginia. Best to be prepared to ensure you don’t miss out of these delicacies!
Both apple blossoms & apple leaves are wonderful in tea; this is a great way to incorporate their adaptogenic properties into your daily routine. Wilted & steeped in witch hazel, they make a fantastic facial toner & sunburn soother.
The most delicious way to enjoy them though is to make some jelly with them -- Let me show you how!
between two fingers & gently pulling toward yourself to pop it off the branch. The color of your jelly will depend on the color of your blossoms; the beautiful white & pink flowers have varying amounts of pink depending on the apple variety. Your jelly will range from pale yellow [completely white flowers] to vivid pink [darker pink flowers.] Our ancient apple tree gives us mostly white flowers with a fair bit of pink that creates the palest, most stunning colored jelly I have ever seen. The color is impossible to capture in pictures. It is breathtaking and just as delicious as it is beautiful. We like to take the flavor up a notch by adding cardamom to our batches-- It compliments the sweet, softly floral flavor of the jelly perfectly. Cardamom Apple Blossom Jelly
large pot on the stove & bring to a full boil. Reduce heat & simmer for about 15 minutes. Pour your infusion into a large jar, allowing it to steep. For best flavor, I let it steep overnight. The steeping petals resemble gari [ginger] as they float in your infusion-- So pretty.
flavor bombs in ours--you can use finely ground if you prefer. The rough is quite visible in the resultant jelly as you can see. Bring to a full, rolling boil, stirring to prevent scorching.Keep at a rolling boil for a full minute, then add your pectin, stirring to incorporate, & bring the batch back to a rolling boil. Boil your jelly for 2-10 minutes until it is glossy & thick. Ladle into prepared jars & set aside to cool completely -- And there you have it! You can either keep your jars in the fridge or process them in a water canning bath for the proper time for your elevation. Prepare yourself--This jelly is absolutely AMAZING! Wonderful on toast, or crusty bread with some chevre. It is also my favorite for filling thumbprint cookies -- With almonds & apples coming from the same family, it isn’t surprising how well their flavors play together & these cookies really show off how gorgeous this jelly is! Here is my recipe for them: Almond Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies With Apple Blossom Jelly 1 c Unsalted Butter, softened 2/3 c Sugar 1 TBS Vanilla Exctract* ½ tsp Almond Extract* [*or just 1 ½ TBS Buttercup extract] 1 ½ c All-Purpose Flour ½ c Almond Flour Apple Blossom Jelly Note: This is a very soft dough & it must be refrigerated for at least 3 hours prior to baking.
Okay--that is all for this round! Don't miss the extremely short window of opportunity to try these recipes. Hopefully, I got this out in plenty of time for you to plan for harvesting apple blossoms this season. It really is worth the fuss! I do hope you enjoy these recipes -- Let me know how it turns out for you & share pictures! I love to see all the different shades of jelly nature produces!
Until next time--Stay safe & #StopAndEatTheFlowers
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explore our forsythia skincare products
Forsythia Syrup 1- 1 ½ cups fresh forsythia blossoms 1 cup spring water 1 cup pure honey [*for raw honey, see note at end of recipe] Sort your blossoms, taking care to remove any hitchhiking bugs; there is no need to remove their green bases, but some people do. Removing the bases will enhance the floral aspect of your syrup’s flavor, while leaving them gives a more herbaceous/floral combination that I enjoy. Add your forsythia & water to a pot; bring to a full boil, stirring occasionally. You'll notice the flowers begin to darken & lose their color to the liquid. Boil for 3-5 minutes, then turn your heat down to simmer & add the honey, stirring to dissolve & incorporate. Once fully dissolved, remove the pot from heat & strain out the spent blossoms with a fine strainer or cheesecloth. You can compost or toss the forsythia. *IF USING RAW HONEY: to protect the beneficial qualities of raw honey, remove your forsythia tea from heat & strain out the blossoms, allowing the tea to cool a bit BEFORE stirring in your honey. It’s a bit harder to incorporate, but still gives you a lovely syrup, while protecting the raw-honey benefits that would be damaged by heat. Allow to cool completely & pour into a sterile bottle for storing. This syrup will keep for 3 weeks or so in the refrigerator. Try it over pancakes or vanilla ice cream for a real treat! Add a spoonful to a cup of Earl Grey tea or add a splash to homemade lemonade. Or use it is cocktails, like this one: Forsythia Bees Knees 2 oz Gin ¾ oz Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice ½ - ¾ oz Forsythia Honey syrup Lemon Peel Twist for Garnish
That’s it for this post. I hope you give these recipes a go -- they are so easy to make & so very tasty! Forsythia’s bright flavor is the perfect way to Welcome Spring. Until next time--Stay safe & remember to #StopAndEatTheFlowers
Electric pizzelle irons are readily available today & worth the investment, as they are the easiest route to best results. Most cook two cookies at a time. We actually own two irons -- My mother’s ancient one & a newer model she brought us so each of our daughter’s could press cookies with her at the same time back when they were about 5 & 6. I have heard regular waffle irons can be used instead, with minor tweaking to amount of batter & cooking time based-off your iron’s size.
Aunt Pipey’s Pizzelle Cookies 6 large eggs 1 ½ cups sugar 1 cup butter, melted 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour 4 tsp baking powder 2 TBS ‘i tres grandi’ extract or roughly 1 ½ TBS anise + 1 tsp lemon extract + ½ tsp orange extract [extra butter or non-stick spray for iron]
There you have it! Such a simple recipe & process with such pretty & tasty results! Feel free to change up the flavor by playing with your extracts -- these are lovely made with vanilla, almond, or lemon extract as well -- & really quite delicious with our Buttercup extract too! I have such fond memories of making these with my grandmother & my mother, & of watching my girls make them with my mother too. It makes them all the sweeter for me.
I hope you enjoy these Pizzelles as much as we do! Until next time -- STAY SAFE!
find nettles in these popular products:
Another delicious way to reap these benefits is in using nettle to make syrups & cordials. You will find them to have an absolutely delicious & completely unique flavor when used this way. The flavor is quite impossible to describe-- rather vegetal & green with strong apricot-peach notes. It’s AMAZING! Its adaptogenic properties make it a natural for relaxing, end-of-day drinks, both with or without alcohol. Fresh or dried nettle can be used, with fresh cordials often turning a pinkish shade [similar to how Queen Anne’s Lace turns color.] I like it best as a British-style, non-alcoholic cordial [similar to an herbal syrup with citric acid added] & will share my recipe for that here, as well as Zero-Alcohol & Craft-Cocktail recipes made using it. Nettle Cordial [non-alcoholic cordial]
Now that we have our cordial-- Let's make some tasy drinks with it!When using fresh instead of dried nettles, your cordial will be a stunning pale pink color like this! Sparkling Prick Cocktail 2 oz Gin ½ fresh lime juice 1 oz nettle cordial Splash soda water Nettle Refresher [Zero-Proof] 2 dashes Bitter Housewife Grapefruit Bitters 1 oz nettle cordial Lime wedge Soda water or sparkling water That is it for this week! I hope you enjoy these recipes & get some use of them. Nettles are a really wonderful herb to add to your diet, even simply enjoying them in tea.
They are loaded with flavor & amazing benefits. Scoop them up in premade teas like we offer or dried at herb houses if you aren’t feeling brave enough to harvest them yourself -- just don’t pass them over for fear of a sting or you will truly miss out! Take care until next time -- & don’t forget to #StopAndEatTheFlowers
They are entirely edible like kumquats--seeds, peel, & all. [Most people find the seeds to be bitter & discard them] They are loaded with Vitamin C & folic acid, & have wide use applications. They can be eaten raw or cooked & work well in savory & sweet dishes & drinks, as do most citrus fruits. In our home it is a scramble to secure as many as we can each Winter & preserve a bunch to extend the season for our family. I make marmalade, curd, & syrups, being sure to freeze quite a bit in an attempt to last us the year. You can usually find them with the other Winter Citrus in specialty markets & maybe even your local Whole Foods -- We are very lucky indeed to be able to source them at our local Co-Op, Rising Tide.
handful in half & squeeze the juice in, AND add the halves as well to 1:1 water & sweetener. This method really makes the most of their amazing flavor. Once you strain off your syrup, simply pick out the seeds & let the fruit pieces cool-- then enjoy candied limequats on salads or as cocktail garnishes! Limequat syrup plays well with gin, tequila, & vodka, & it is particularly thirst-quenching in bubbly soda water as well for a simple, exotic homemade soda.
the curd is the way to go if you plan to only make one limequat recipe. Enjoy it on scones & toast [with or without clotted cream] or use it to fill tarts with my super quick [CHEAT!] sablée crust. You’ll be so glad you did! Here’s how: Super Easy, No-Bake Sablée Crust for Tarts 10 oz Shortbread Cookies 6 TBS Unsalted Butter, melted 2 TBS Light Brown Sugar 1 TBS Refined Sugar
Refrigerate for at least 10 minutes before filling & you are all set! Seriously, no blind baking, no pie weights. You are good to go. This is enough to make a nice, thick crust for a large 9” tart or many smaller tartlets. Now on to the CURD! Limequat Curd 3 Large Eggs 1 cup Sugar ⅔ cups Limequat Juice* 2 TBS Limequat Zest* 4 TBS Unsalted Butter, small diced & chilled Pinch Sea Salt * Feel free to add some regular lime juice &/or kumquat juice if you don't have enough limequats. For the zest, I highly recommend mixing in a little lime & kumquat zest with your limequats as the blend of yellow, green & orange is very pretty in the finished curd.
There it is-- A pretty spectacular result from very little effort! I hope you enjoy the post & give the curd a try. It is always a hit. The tarts are so pretty too-- Please let me know what you think if you make it & share PICTURES! Until next time -- Remember to #StopAndEatTheFlowers
Hardy in zones 9 - 11, scented geraniums will not tolerate frost, but make lovely houseplants in lower zones & have no issues living in containers. Indoors, they will need some sun & will tend to get leggy when not regularly pinched back. Pinching them back also encourages flowering, & is rather a joy as a fresh leaf or 2 added to your morning cup of tea is lovely. I like to let ours get quite leggy, then give him a good haircut when the urge to make something strikes me. My favorites to make with the cuttings are Geranium Lemoncello, Geranium Blood Orange Curd, & the sorbet recipe I will share here -- which leads me to Gerald, our ‘Attar of Rose’ scented geranium.
Having just given Gerald a major haircut, we have plenty to go around -- if you’d like a cutting, pop on in to the store & I will gladly give you one free of charge! All we ask in return is that you give your plant a name starting with ‘G’ to keep Gerald’s line going! :D Tag your baby on instagram with #GeraldIsLegion so we cansee your results!
It isn’t mandatory, but consistently helps to provide the best results. I use vodka to avoid affecting the taste. Additionally, you can substitute honey, maple syrup, or agave for the sugar, but it will affect the overall flavor. Second, churning your base really is crucial to achieving the creamy texture we’re after. If you don’t own [or want to own] an ice cream maker, you can use this recipe & freeze your base into granita, which is icier in texture but equally delicious. I will run through ‘No-Churn’ instructions as well. Third, this recipe will make about 3 cups of sorbet, which should be more than enough for 8-10 small servings. It can easily be scaled up if you need, but keep in mind it is meant to be served in small portions. We find it keeps well in the freezer for about a month, staying smooth & easily scoop-able. My final note is that you can absolutely use any scented geranium to flavor your batch. Gerald is not the only game in town in this matter [although he does make an exquisite sorbet!] Okay--Let’s do it! Rose-Geranium Sorbet
Ice Cream Machine Directions: Add to chilled machine & follow machine directions [about 20-30 minutes usually.] Scoop into freezer container, smoothing with a spatula. I prefer a long, shallow container so I can get nice curls when serving. ENJOY! Freezer Method: Pour base into container, cover & place in your freezer. After a couple hours [semi-solid state,] take it out & hand-churn it up with a fork. Place it back in the freezer. Once it has refrozen, scoop it all out & put it in a blender or food processor. Run it until it is mostly smooth. This version will be more like a granita, icier than true churned sorbet. Cover & refreeze until serving. This version should stay scoop-able for about 3 days. ENJOY!
There it is! I hope you enjoy the post & give this lovely, herbal sorbet a try. This recipe is super-easy to make & always a hit. It is so unusual & elegant. Please let me know what you think if you make it!
I am 100% serious about coming in for free cuttings of Gerald. And about sharing your results with #GeraldIsLegion. This is definitely a cultivar we want to keep around! Until next time--Stay safe & remember to #StopAndEatTheFlowers [or leaves as the case may be!]
Here in the dead of Winter, our year-round Herbal Allies in the evergreen family are a perfect way to entice yourself to get out into the cold, fresh air! With so many members & so many edible & medicinal ways to use them, it is hard to know where to start. They have been used in traditional Nordic & Indigenous Peoples cooking for centuries. Loaded with Vitamins C & A, as well as healing & pain-soothing properties, evergreens are main staple plants, especially for winter foraging. Easy to identify & available in nearly every climate, evergreens are a great place to start if you’re new to foraging as well.
Most conifer needles are edible, with the exception of the toxic yew [Taxus spp.] tree. Spruce, pine, fir, & redwood all have wonderful herbal & edible uses. Conifer needles are particularly useful in teas & steams, but are also used in applications varying from healing-salves to flavoring infusions. In order to protect the Vitamin C, these needles are often cold-infused. Boiling, or heat infusion will result in less Vitamin C, but a deeper, more intense flavor. Both methods of extraction are used depending on the desired result. I love to add spruce tips to my daily tea where flavor, not vitamins, are my main focus. Try Maine's Delicious White Pine In This Small-Batch Shrub
Set the pot on your stovetop on high heat & bring to a boil. Lower the heat to maintain a slow simmer as long as desired, adding more water if needed, as you diffuse the fresh scent through your home & add moisture to the dry Winter air. Heavenly! Bring the scent of evergreen's into your home
combine. Allow to infuse for at least an hour before use--but this mixture will keep for a couple of months. If you have them, crushed juniper berries are a lovely addition to this soak, or even a few drops of cypress, orange, &/or cedarwood essential oils [up to 12 drops total per 3 cups of salt.] Incredibly soothing for the mind & the body, this soak is a Wintertime must! Be sure to place a small strainer or piece of cheesecloth over your drain at the end to catch the plant material when draining, or place your salts in a bath infuser or muslin bath-bag to start with.
In the Winter, I tend to favor teas with spruce, adding tiny cuttings to my herbal tea blends almost daily. I have also been playing around with them in a zero-proof ‘gin’ alternative with very positive results, but that is also a post for another time.
I hope you have enjoyed this post & that it has encouraged you to get out & enjoy the outdoors during this slower-paced time of year. There is always something to learn & something to do in the Herbal World. If you are just beginning to explore foraging, evergreens are a wonderful [& delicious] starting point.
Let me know what you are foraging & how you are using it-- I love to hear from you! Until next time--Stay safe & remember to #StopAndEatTheFlowers
cardiovascular health. They are also traditionally used cosmetically to stimulate hair growth, & to support glowing skin & graceful ageing. Try them yourself in these popular products
BUT, as butterfly pea flowers are most often used for drinks, I decided to present you with a non-beverage recipe in this post, instead sharing a recipe for a wild-looking rice custard pie with rose & cardamom. It is super-easy to make, absolutely delicious, & outrageously colored! Seriously, you will not believe it is achieved with a natural colorant when you see it-- the color is not properly captured by my pictures!
will shift your color to a vivid pink, SO there are endless ways to play with this. Finally, this rice custard pie is a sliceable dessert, served more like brownies than traditional pie. When baked, the rice settles to the bottom with the custard layer forming the top. It is delicious served warm, but many people prefer to chill it in the fridge before serving. The custard top, like all puddings & custard, will form a ‘skin’ which will oxidize & darken. Personally, I prefer to peel it off before serving to better enjoy the color effect of the butterfly pea in it. Here we go! Winter Blues Pie3 TBS Dried Butterfly Pea Flowers 2 Cups Milk [whole, skim, your choice] 1 Cup Half & Half 1 Cup White Rice 6 Large Eggs ¾ Cup Sugar 1 TBS Vanilla Extract ½ Teaspoon Cardamom Extract [or 1 tsp ground cardamom] ½ - 1 Teaspoon Rosewater [to your taste] Pinch of Sea Salt DAY BEFORE: Add 2 tablespoons of dried butterfly pea flowers to a quart jar & add the milk & half & half. Pop it in the fridge to steep overnight. Swirling/shaking occasionally. DAY OF BAKING: I like to cook my rice in a rice-cooker, but stovetop is just fine as well. Measure out 1 ½ cups boiling water into a liquid measuring cup, add 1 TBS butterfly pea flowers & stir. Allow it to steep to develop the desired shade of deep blue. I let mine go about 5 minutes to give you an idea. Strain out the flowers & throw them in your compost. Use your blue water to cook your cup of rice, then set it aside to cool. Meanwhile, strain your milk/half & half combo, & prepare your other ingredients. Preheat your oven to 350. Grease an 8” x 8” pan. Beat your eggs with the sugar. Add your blue milk & flavorings mixing until smooth & completely combined. Stir in the rice, breaking up any clumps. Pour into the prepared baking pan. Bake until a butter knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 - 40 minutes. It is easy to scorch the bottom, so do the knife check even if it still looks loose! Remove from oven. Slice into squares & enjoy! You can serve it warm or allow to cool & chill it in the fridge before serving. Again, I like to remove the top skin before serving.
More than just the sheer strangeness of the colors, remember you are getting the herbal benefits of the butterfly pea flowers. This Herbal Ally provides so many benefits for mind & body. It is definitely worth adding to your own tea selection or Herbal Apothecary.
I hope you enjoyed this look at these amazing flowers & this silly-fun recipe. It is likely I will post some drink recipes made with this herb in the future too. Let me know how you like to use Butterfly Pea & what color combo you create! Check out our very special skin & hair care products crafted with this Herbal Ally. Until next time--Stay safe & #StopAndEatTheFlowers
Rosehips, for those not familiar with them, are the fruit of the rose plant. Packed with Vitamin C & nutrients, rose hips are valuable commodities. Press them for oil to nourish & brighten the skin. Rosehips are traditionally used to support the immune system, ease arthritis pain, & provide antioxidants. I begin harvesting rosehips after the first frost each year for best flavor. Inevitably, as the birds, deer & other foragers take their share, the available numbers begin to dwindle, although if you are diligent & persistent, you can find usable hips all through the Winter. [as always, be very careful to only harvest from plants that have not been treated with pesticides.]
I adore the scent of Bergamot as well as the flavor! Indeed, you'll find her in many of our best-sellers, including these items:
Earl Grey Cordial Part OneQuart Sized Jar with tight sealing lid 6 oz loose-leaf Earl Grey tea [or contents of 5 tea-bags] Peel of one Orange [or 2 clementines] Vodka to cover [about 2 cups]
Earl Grey Cordial Part TwoSteeped Tea-Vodka Base 2 cups demerara sugar [or honey or xylitol] 2 cups filtered water
The tannins extracted from the black tea leaves give it that deep, brown color & are extremely bitter on their own. Begin adding your cooled Simple Syrup to the pitcher, stirring it in as you go. I usually start off by adding half my syrup, then tasting to get a baseline. Continue adding & tasting until you get a blend that is just the right balance for your tastes. Most people will find their ‘sweet-spot’ adding all of the simple syrup, while some will like it a bit less sweet. If you add all of your syrup & still feel it is too bitter, or you wish to lower the alcohol content even further, you can add more water. Play with it until you get the perfect balance. Once you mix it up to your taste, decant it into pretty bottles. If you are feeling generous, a bottle of this is a lovely gift to any Earl Grey fan. Set your cordial aside for 24 hours to let the flavors meld together before drinking. Enjoy a small glass of cordial on its own as the perfect Low alcohol [ABV] end-of-the-day treat. It is also quite lovely to add a splash to a nice cup of Chamomile tea! You can also get creative with it & mix up some fun cocktails! I find it plays well with champagne, gin, & bourbon. I love to include it in a French 75, but am particularly fond of it in the following little number: The Caterpillar’s Kimono2 oz Botanically-Forward Gin [such as Hendrick’s] .5 oz Earl Grey Cordial .75 oz Chamomile Bar Syrup Bar Spoon of Lemon Juice Egg White [optional, but gives phenomenal mouth feel!] Orange Twist for garnish
And there you have it! I hope you enjoy this cordial & the process of making it! Do let me know if you get creative & mix up something fun with it--I love to hear from you all! Until next time--
Take care & STAY SAFE! #StopAndEatTheFlowers |
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