fruit blossoms, culinarily

It's been inspiring being at the farm the last few days. Even with a storm approaching, it's relaxing. I've been photographing incessantly. We're at that time in Northern California when winter becomes spring silently. Tree limbs-- naked, criss-cross and sharply stab clouded skies. The air, cool and humid.

But then

tiny buds push through
and soon, when you squint, a smudge of green is visible. Young leaves unfurl, greens, almost glow-in-the-dark, greet us. It's a confusing time.

Like the person who trips into a faerie ring, waking up to Spring after a barely noticeable winter, a winter that whipped us into chilly submission, if only for a minute, tip-toes quietly out, and, with just enough rain, plants shake off hibernation and greet us with newness.

You could say we're spoiled. It's partly true.

As an East Coaster I do miss definitive season divides. I don't miss walking to work in subzero weather or the stale and putrid stench of the Broadway Lafayette station in 98% humidity. I miss the snow falling and quieting my multi-million peopled city, but not the fact that my neighborhood was the last zip code to be plowed, slipping on black ice, and having to travel 2 hours one way to get to an ocean clean enough to swim in.

In Northern California our weather changes are more subtle. So subtle, it could be said there are none. But it's not true outside of the urban Bay Area. In Napa Valley there are four distinct seasons. When I lived here I was quite struck by this, especially considering I had lived in Oakland for some time in the late '90's.

Being born on the first day of Spring might be one of the reasons why I feel ownership towards this season. Winter has historically been my most dreaded season, the worst one for my spirits. So when fruit blossoms arrive I can barely keep still. I never tire of photographing them! They are Persephone's first words: winter is soon to be behind us and my favourite fruits are on their way.

But can these blossoms be used, all on their own, as a culinary ingredient?

This comment question came in on 'almond blossoms:'

Shuna,

Are almond blossoms edible, can they be used for a tissane or infusion, or candied and dried...I had never really thought of the possibilities, though if they are as perfumed as they are beautiful they would make an incredible ingredient.

Alex (from Ideas in Food)

To which I replied:

Hello Alex!

So nice to have you. An honor indeed. Yes, almond blossoms can be used culinarily. They would make a gorgeous whisper of flavor for something also subtle and light. I am loathe to pick them though, because, of course, that would mean no eating of green almonds in Spring.

It was this tree who first introduced me to green almond flavor essence. (And I don't mean when they are just a little glob of jello, I much prefer them when they are both nut and fruit simultaneously.)

Almonds are so expensive nowadays but I imagine if you can get in good with an almond orchard you could make something ethereal... let me know if you do.

And on Wednesday, this comment came in on 'plum blossoms:'

how about these, can we pick these, come on I bet we could do something great with plum blossoms. the question dam has now been opened. to take the blossom or wait for the fruit? who the heck is silly enough to forget the fruit just for the whisper of flavor from the blossom...of course what a whisper it could be; and what is the difference between a shout and a whisper? Which commands more attention, which one do you remember? H. Alexander Talbot.

The only place I've seen a recipe involving almond blossoms is in Lindsey Shere's Chez Panisse Desserts. You would, indeed, need to be close friends with the almond farmer, though. Especially after last year's deluge of rain practically eliminated the California Organic almond crop. When working with edible flowers it is of utmost importance that they are not sprayed with any substance you wouldn't want to spray directly into your mouth. In any infusion, all the chemicals farms use become part of your end food result; it's composition, taste.

When a fruit or nut's flavor is not intense, nor will be it's flower. Conversely, a strong scented or flavored fruit, as a raw being, will produce powerfully perfumed blossoms.

Citrus blossoms are the best example of the latter example. The first time I used orange blossoms it blew me away how few I needed to flavor a large batch of Bavarian I was making at Bouchon. Their overwhelming Provencal scent even came through the plastic bag they were delivered in from Lazy Susan Ranch via Greenleaf!

But because Meyer lemons are so wonderful I've never chosen the blossoms over the fruit. That said, I would be willing to forsake some limes for the opportunity to work with lime flowers. I can only imagine how lime's sweeter side could be extracted from its female parts.

When we work, in the kitchen, with various parts of the plant besides the main attraction, that which we eat out of hand, we get to know it's essence that much more. We teach our noses and tongues to recognize volatile molecules. Live perfumes which are also present in the fruit, but acids and sugars and overall love of fruit's flesh get in the way of. We smell these whispers when we infuse leaves and flowers and woods.

Just look to cheese makers who have been using leaves and ash to infuse various milks from the outside in, sometimes mimicking the animal's diet. Or wine makers who craft barrels out of aromatic tree woods. Or those who smoke meat and fish, picking branches not only for their different burning temperatures, but also for their complex sweet smokes. I am one of many who knows the sweet and spicy differences between Birch and Sassafrass rootbeer. And few who taste a perfectly balanced honey-lavendar ice cream can argue against its odd but appealing flavor.

The flavor of perfume.
The heady taste of the ineffable.
Elusivity captured.

"of course what a whisper it could be; and what is the difference between a shout and a whisper? Which commands more attention, which one do you remember?"

My dream has always been to make a real Blanc Mange from green almonds. It would be cost and time prohibitive in the most outlandish way. (Perhaps this is a job for Claudia, Heidi, Joycelyn or Keiko?) Or a layered frozen dessert using different citrus blossoms for each layer, with maybe it's corresponding marmalade or juice gelee separating the layers.

But subtle is what these stone fruit blossoms are. In order to make an infusion of any of these work, your overall dish would need to be quite delicate (flavor, texture, temperature) to begin with. It would need to be a course where all of your senses were focused only on that which was in front of you. Served, perhaps with a Mother-of-Pearl spoon that did not interfere with the taste or temperature at all.

Taste that is perfume requires the mouth be utterly quiet. Open to pleasure elusive, the lightest touch on the most sensitive of skin, caressing velvety pubescence, tasting a whisper whispered sweetly: almost a nothing.

Comments

[H.Alexander Talbot]

Well done

[Barbara]

What a beautiful, evocative post!

I do cook with flowers often myself, and think of them as poetry for the palate.

Your words captured thatconcept perfectly.

[cookiecrumb]

Oh, yahoo! This is very inspiring.
My first thought: rice pudding.
Second: panna cotta.
Finally, Shuna, my Meyer lemon tree is usually very eager to shed extra blossoms. I consider it "self-pruning." I'll save you some. I have a Key lime tree, too.

[faustianbargain]

i am opposed to the idea of plucking flowers from trees for culinary purposes. please. dont. but thats just me. the blossoms that fall from 'self pruning'(as cookiecrumb mentions) are different tho'...

[Chubbypanda]

The flowers were pretty (and made me homesick for NorCal), but I like the doggie the best. =)

[J]

oh shuna, you are a culinary goddess after my own heart - i got goose bumps of the deja vu variety just reading "my dream has always been to make a real Blanc Mange from green almonds".

i've long fantasized about making the peach leaf parfait from the chez panisse fruit book - although the possibility of finding young peach leaves in my neck of the woods remains remote...

[Tea]

In Japan there is a drink made of cherry blossoms that have been preserved in salt and then floated in hot water. The blossoms open and remain suspended in the liquid. Beautiful.

It's called Sakura-yu and is served at auspicious occasions. My parents drank this at their wedding, and my mother made it the first time we gathered to celebrate my brother's engagement.

The bonus: Japanese cherry trees don't produce fruit, so you're not endangering the harvest.

[Aaron]

Hmmm...Tea that's interesting. So it tastes like cherry despite the tree being only a flowering varietal?
I grew up in a yard with many flowering plum trees...does anyone know if the same would hold true?

[junglegirl]

This is the most beautiful ode to spring and it's treasures that I have ever read! So perfect. Thank you.

[Sheri]

thank you for all these blossoms (photos and ideas). they make me happy even if i'm not a chef/cook.

[keiko]

Dear Shuna - thank you for this lovely post, your beautiful pictures made me happy... As Tea said, we use cherry blossoms for cooking (as well as the leaves) not just look pretty they taste quite 'delicate' too.