How To Make Candied Roses

- IMPORTANT: ONLY USE ORGANICALLY GROWN FLOWERS -

To make candied roses or other edible flowers (pansies, violas and borage blossoms are also good choices), you will need:

• edible flowers
• an egg white*
• sugar
• a blender
• a thin paintbrush
• wax paper
• a wire rack or cookie sheet

*some people prefer to use powdered, reconstituted egg whites to assure food safety.

Make sure to only use organically-grown flowers, preferably ones you have grown yourself. Most commercial flowers are sprayed with pesticides that are not approved for food use, and store-bought flowers are often also sprayed with preservatives.

Directions

If using a rose, choose one that is not fully opened for best effect.

1. Wash the flower gently under the faucet, and dry carefully on a paper towel, which will wick the moisture away. Allow to air dry for a few minutes to allow all the water to evaporate.
2. While the flower is drying, use the blender to whiz the sugar into an extra-fine grind. This will be coarser than powdered sugar, but much finer that ordinary granulated sugar.
3. Beat the egg white until it just starts to get foamy. If the egg has been in the fridge for awhile, the white will be thicker and stickier, and you may need to add a tiny bit of water to make it easier to brush onto the flower.
4. Tear off a piece of wax paper to fit your wire rack or cookie sheet.
5. Holding the flower carefully with one hand, gently paint both sides of each petal with the egg white, and then sprinkle all surfaces with the superfine sugar.
6. Lay the flower on the wax paper, and allow to dry. The sugar will actually draw the moisture out of the flower, preserving it. This can take from 12 to 36 hours, depending on temperature and humidity. Here in dry Colorado, they're usually done in a day. You can tell they are done when they become dry and brittle. (Careful handling!)
7. Once they are completely dried, you can store your candied roses or other flowers in layers in shallow, wide-mouthed jars (which look pretty on the shelf) or in flat food storage containers, separated by tissue paper.

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