 | I realised recently that I may have given the impression foraging is all green and, well, soupy. So, to remedy that, here's a celebratory May Day post of a sugary, purple nature! May Day, or Beltane, is usually celebrated on the 1st of the month, though this year lunar Beltane was actually just over a week ago on the April full moon. It's a joyous festival of fertility and new life, and I often like to mark it by gathering little wildflowers for a nature shrine to give thanks for the new growth, the coming summer, and set intentions for all that will be fruitful in the next seasons. It's traditionally the festival of maypole dancing and leaping over bonfires but I'm contenting myself with something a little more sober this year and since the may blossom (hawthorn) is coming out ever so tentatively in this cold spring, that seems entirely appropriate! Thankfully, the local wild violets are in business despite the chilled start to the year and we enjoyed gathering them on our morning walk. |
| You might have encountered palma violets; little sugary tablet like sweets, pale purple, in a roll. They always remind me of my gran! If you've ever had them, you'll remember the subtle, floral flavour. I'm not going to pretend homemade candied violets will taste quite like that and the scent of the wild flowers can be a bit hit and miss. If you've got cultivated sweet violets in your garden, you're more likely to get scent and flavour but for me the main charm of these delicate dainties is their beauty. What a delightful way to celebrate the spring! I try and avoid refined sugar as a rule and most of my biscuit and cake making is the 'healthy' kind that relies on things like date syrup and coconut sugar. I did actually use golden granulated for these little lovelies, however; I'm pretty confident they'd work well with an alternative sweetener, as long as it was a crystallised kind. I also used plant based aquafaba (water from chickpeas or beans) instead of the traditional egg white. If you've not discovered the wonders of this miraculous liquid, I'd highly recommend an adventure in vegan mousse making... But please don't spend silly money on the marketed cartons of the stuff, just spend 60p on a tin of chickpeas and have yourself some garlic mustard houmous at the same time! |  |
Candied Violet Making:
| | Candied violets can be enjoyed as tiny sweets just on their own but they make gorgeous decorations for baking, reminiscent of village fêtes; like bunting for your cakes! They also add an elegant, floral crunch to a simple bowl of vanilla ice cream. They take a wee bit of thinking ahead but they're actually very straightforward to make: Pick your violets, not forgetting to appreciate how sublimely beautiful they are as you do so! Give thanks to the plant, silently or aloud, however you'd like. I'm sure it makes them taste better if you give the plant a little appreciation as you take the flowers! Do be sure you're actually picking violets. I've noticed quite a bit of ground ivy and speedwell about at the moment, both of which have small, purple or blue flowers so take your spotters guide if you're at all unsure what violets look like! Lightly wash the flowers and prepare your work space as they dry a little (they don't have to be completely dry, that bit comes later!). You'll need some fine sugar crystals (icing sugar is too fine, I used golden granulated sugar that I ground a bit in a pestle and motar. If you've already got caster sugar, that's would probably do it! Drain the juice from a can of chickpeas (don't worry, your candied violets won't have a chickpea flavour!) into a small bowl and lightly whisk it with a fork until it's a bit fluffy, it doesn't take long. Remove the violets from their stems and holding the flower at the base, dab the fluffy aquafaba onto the front and back of the petals using a small paint brush. (note to self: invest in a brush for culinary purposes!) now, using a small spoon, sprinkle a little of the sugar on to the wet petals and place the flower onto a sheet of baking parchment. Don't be tempted to speed things up by dunking the flower into either the aquafaba or the sugar; you'll smother the flower in too much of the substance and it'll turn into a sticky mess! Repeat the paint and sprinkle process for each flower then set them aside in a warm dry place for 24 hours to crystallise. You could move this step on a little faster if you have a dehydrator, or by putting them in an oven that's been heated to no more than 100°c and then turned off! When they're completely dried, you can gently peel them off the paper and store them in an air tight box. They should keep quite well but they're so tasty, I'd recommend enjoying them as soon as possible, as an offering to the (slightly late) spirits of spring and the (hopefully not too delayed) goddess of summer! |
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