Herbal Spotlight: Apple Blossoms, With Apple Blossom Jelly & Almond Shortbread Thumbprint Cookie Recipes

Sure they're pretty, but did you know apple blossoms are delicious?
So delicious in fact, Apple Blossom inches out Peony as family-favorite jelly in this house! [which is really saying something...]
Apples are actually in the plant family Rosaceae, same as roses, almonds, & strawberries. And, their flowers & leaves are just as edible as the apples themselves! Of course, if you pick all the flowers, you won’t get any apples later; keep that in mind as you harvest. Most trees produce an enormous amount of flowers, so this isn’t a major issue. Once you taste this jelly, I'm quite sure you will agree it is worth ‘sacrificing’ some apples for it!

Apple Blossoms have a short blooming window of only 5-10 days.

A true herald of Spring, apple blossoms are only produced if the tree has had enough ‘chill-hours’ of dormancy. It is quite an interesting process, with mature trees producing both leaf buds & flower buds if the proper conditions have been met. Once the flowers begin to bloom, the race is on! Bees have a very short window to pollinate the flowers causing fruit to develop -- likewise, you now have about 5-10 days, depending on 

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!

Apple blossoms are high in anti-oxidants & minerals, with adatogenic, cooling, & astringent properties. They can be used fresh or dried. They are traditionally used for relieving stress & calming nerves, improving digestion, & treating acne. How to use apple blossoms? They are lovely tossed with salads & as garnishes. They're delicious infused in whiskey. Use them to make Apple  

Blossom Cordial by steeping them in vodka with some sugar. 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 -- L​et me show you how! ​

Our tree's flowers make the most gorgeous, pale-pink jelly.

First, we must gather our apple blossoms. You will need about 2 cups to make this jelly. Be 100% sure the flowers you collect are from trees that have not been sprayed! Also, remember the flowers you don’t take will [hopefully] become fruit, so only take what you will use & take it gently. You can remove blossoms without damaging their neighbors by sliding the flower 

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

2 Cups Fresh Apple Blossoms
3 Cups Distilled or Spring Water
¼ Cup Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
4 Cups Sugar
½ tsp Ground Cardamom 

 Just as we do with so many other flowers & plants, the best way to capture the flavor & color with apple blossoms is to make an infusion first. Start by rinsing your flowers & removing any worms & leaves in the lot. I also remove most of the green bases from the blossoms. You want 2 cups of flowers once they are all cleaned. Add them to your water in a cocotte or 

Straining our steeped petals off.

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.

The next day, strain off your infusion with cheesecloth or a fine-mesh stainer. Compost the spent petals. You will need 2 cups for the recipe -- Set aside any extra to enjoy as iced-tea later in the day! Prepare your sterile jelly jars & lids. Add your 2 cups of apple blossom infusion, your lemon juice, 4 cups sugar, & cardamom to your cocotte or large pot. I prefer to use a larger, rough grind of cardamom for mini 

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.

Whip your butter with the paddle in a stand mixer until light & fluffy. On medium speed, add the sugar & your Vanilla & Almond [or Buttercup in place of both]. Scrape down your bowl. Add flour with the mixer on low. Compact & press your dough down in the mixing bowl. Cover & chill your dough for at least 3 hours. Preheat your oven to 350 & prepare baking trays with parchement, keeping your dough in the refigerator until abslutely ready to bake. Form balls with your cold dough, using roughly 1 TBS of dough or each, & evenly space on trays. 

Simply smooth the dough edges if they start to crack like this one in the lower left-corner.

Press your thumb in the middle of each ball to make a small crater, smoothing the edges if they crack a bit. Fill each of these indents with Apple Blossom jelly, a bit less than ½ tsp in each.
​
​Bake the cookies at 350 for 10-12 minutes in top or middle [not lowest rack] until lightly brown.
Place cookies on racks to cool & ENJOY!

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