Down on the Allotment

Matron grows vegetables and fruit in a Hampshire garden. I've been growing veggies since I was knee high to a grasshopper. Some traditional varieties and old favourites as well as new ideas. I share my garden with my allotment assistant Daisy the Labrador. On Twitter as @MatronsVeggies

Friday, April 14, 2017

Edible Flowers

Matron doesn't do flowers!  But, with the exception of edible flowers - here I make that exception.
Whilst out walking I found a carpet of sweet violets in the woods, this common flower is found everywhere at this time of year but only for a few weeks.  The flowers have a wonderful violet perfume hence the Latin name Viola Odorata
It was also an old Victorian tradition to preserve the flowers in sugar and make cake decorations, so I decided to have a go.  Just brush the fresh flowers with egg white and sprinkle with caster sugar.
You have to have delicate fingers to make these preserved violets, so gently I put them on greaseproof paper and dried them on my heated propagator for a couple of days.
You can also do this with primrose flowers.  I suppose at this point I should give a warning that if you are not 100% sure what it is then don't pick it or eat it!... so, with the Easter weekend coming up I decided to give it a go.

So I made a lemon drizzle cake and decorated it with preserved flowers!  Happy Easter everyone!

7 Comments:

At 8:01 PM, Blogger VP said...

Yum! Have a good Easter Matron :)

 
At 1:37 AM, Anonymous TechChik said...

I've always wanted to preserve violets like this too!
Have you tried pickling nasturtium buds as a substitute for capers?

 
At 9:31 AM, Blogger Tania López said...

Hello. The flowers look appetizing. I´m going to prove.
Greetings from Galicia

 
At 11:26 AM, Blogger Caro said...

I remember my grandad doing this to violets to decorate cupcakes; I've tried but always end up being too heavy handed. Your cake looks really delicious.

 
At 5:02 PM, Anonymous Carolyn said...

This post has taken me right back to my childhood and palma violets!
I am old enough to use a Wheelchair ramp now though. But it was good to feel young again for a moment there!

 
At 6:19 PM, Anonymous Garden4Dinner said...

What a great idea!

 
At 9:57 PM, Blogger SUSSEXMOUSE said...

This is something I must try. A lovely combination of colours. Yum !

 

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