Infused syrups are yet another way to get creative with edible flowers
A profusion of images flooded my Instagram feed during the summer holidays. My favourite were the pretty flowers that dot the woods and the countryside abroad in spring. Among the ones that caught my fancy were pictures of the dainty elderflower celebrated throughout Switzerland.
My Swiss friend had picked large quantities of it to make syrup, which would last her through the year and her posts had me wishing that I was in her kitchen at that moment.
As if that wasn’t enough, a friend from Bengaluru who was holidaying in the Swiss Alps returned with bunches of elderflower and proceeded to make a golden syrup in her cosy Airbnb.
Steeped in liquid
While I loved the process of picking delicate, aromatic local flowers and making an infusion, there was no way I could get elderflower in my neighbourhood. As I gazed at the small, white flowers, it made me think of our very own jasmine. Mallige, mogra, mallipoo, chameli ... the jasmine is known by different names across the country and romanticised on celluloid and used during traditional rituals for its aroma and pristine beauty. Elsewhere, in Asia, it is in demand for the mild flavour it lends to tea and rice grains, but it is not commonly used as a kitchen ingredient here. Ideally I would have liked to pick my own flowers but since my plant was a little low on offerings, that wasn’t possible.
When I asked my local flower seller for loose blossoms to make syrup with, she was amused. “You don’t want any for your hair?” she kept asking. I just filled my basket with a handful of open flowers, and rushed home to begin the immersions.
The method is straightforward. A citrus element is optional, depending on your preference. Given the delicacy of the jasmine aroma, I realised that I didn’t want to dilute it with any other spice or ingredient. Not even my favourite lemon.
We sat down to separate the petals from the short green stalk, and the heady fragrance was an instant mood elevator. While elderflower needed to be steeped for a few days in a simple sugar syrup, jasmine required only a few hours. The colourless liquid took on a slightly creamy hue and captured the fragrance beautifully. The sweet syrup carried the unmistakable flavour of the flowers making this a hugely satisfying foray into the exciting world of floral infusions. There was also a very slight bitter after taste that is commonly felt when tasting most flower petals.
This syrup needs to be stored in the refrigerator and can be used to mix a simple lemon juice or even some stronger clear brews. I am now thinking about making a lemon sour cream cake and glazing it with this delightful jasmine syrup: one helping of this sweet tangy confection might just not be enough
