Peonies are one of my favorite summer flowers. They're big, poofy and just make me smile. Once you have ensured that they aren't covered in ants (since, for whatever reason, they seem to be perpetually covered in ants) they make gorgeous bouquets. But I can honestly say I have never, ever thought of eating them.
I get that there are "designer" jams and jellies, like with everything else. My personal favorite is the Papio blackberry jalapeno jam (so good!), but I can't really picture eating flower jelly.
That being said, I thought I'd post the recipe in case someone more adventurous than I decided to give it a try! :)
Peony Jelly Is the Coolest Thing to Happen to Summer
Save all your pink petals
Aren’t pink peonies the best? But total sadness ensues the second we see them start to fade and wilt. Instead of throwing them out, salvage the petals and whip up a delicious peony jelly (you heard us) that’ll last all summer and beyond.
What you need: Four cups’ worth of peony petals (pluck ’em right before they turn brown), one lemon, three cups of sugar and one package of liquid pectin (or two tablespoons of powdered pectin)
What you do: Boil the petals in five cups of water, then let them steep overnight. Next, strain the water from the petals and add three tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice to the liquid. (You can toss the petals at this point.) Bring it to a boil and add the sugar and pectin. Boil again for three minutes, then remove from the stove and let cool for a few hours. Voilà! Peony jelly.
But how does it look and taste? The color of the petals will influence the richness of the hue, but no matter what, it will be a subtle pink (as shown in this pic by blogger Shawna Coronado). And it tastes like a delicious combo of strawberry and peach jelly. Yum.
Enjoy and happy Tuesday!
~ Katie
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