I just recently learned that magnolia petals are edible! Growing up we had a magnolia tree in front of our home and I remember how magnificently pungent the air smelled in the week or two that it was in bloom. It would cast out it’s petals and put on a show for all those who drove by. I never thought to eat it back then, but when I recently found access to a tree in my town, I decided to go for it. I have heard of pickling them, but to use them in a sweet application was of course the preferred way for this baker. I have a history of infusing honey with just about anything. In the past I have made both sassafras and lilac honey. I’ve even infused honey with black locust flowers and all of these have turned out to be delicious. The subtle floral notes of the flowers all complimenting the honey very well. So it was only natural to be tempted to try it with magnolia petals. I must say, it may be my favorite flower-honey. Magnolia have a much stronger flowery smell than the other flowers that I mentioned, and it ended up carrying through very well in the honey. I have yet to try it in my teas, but I imagine it would pair well with Drift tea and most likely the tea as well. Not only did I infuse these lovely flowers into honey, but I also took a chance and infused them into sugar. I might possibly have fallen more in love with the sugar infusion. Cane sugar has such a more neutral flavor in comparison to honey that the flower’s taste really shines through. It would be perfect for use with strawberries which will be arriving in the next couple of months (or will they through all this snow we’ve had?), and I imagine the sugar could pair well with blueberries as well. This may or may not be a foreshadowing of a recipe I will be releasing to you guys soon (wink, wink). Give these two recipes a try and let me know how you use them, or if you stash them away to eat by the spoonfuls while your children are napping. Either way, there will be no judgment here.
Magnolia infused Honey
60g Magnolia Petals
800g Local Honey
Pick the petals away from the rest of the branch and inner parts of the flower. Rinse them to remove any bugs or dirt and gently pat dry with a clean towel. Place them into a quart jar and fill the jar with the honey. Put a lid on the jar and store it in a dark dry area of your kitchen for 1-2 days. You may want to turn the jar upside down halfway through the infusion time to make sure the petals remain submerged in the honey.
After they have infused the flowers will look wilted and may begin to turn brown. Pour the honey through a strainer into another clean jar. The petals will release their moisture and make the honey a thinner consistency. In order to prevent it from fermenting, store in the refrigerator.
Magnolia infused Sugar
50g Magnolia Petals
300g Organic Cane sugar
Pick the petals away from the rest of the branch and inner parts of the flower. Rinse them to remove any bugs or dirt and gently pat dry with a clean towel.
Place the petals in food processor or blender with the sugar. Process until the petals have become finely blended into the sugar. Remove from processor or blender pitcher and spread evenly on a baking sheet.
Cover loosely with cheesecloth and store in an area with good airflow to allow the sugar to dry out. This could take 1-2 days. Once the sugar has completely dried out and has hardened, place the mixture back into the blender to break it back up into granules. *If you’d like the consistency to be more of powdered sugar, continue blending until the granules become more fine.*
Place the mixture into a jar and store in a cool dark place in your pantry. Enjoy!
Madelyn Walters
