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When flowers are in full bloom this season, they look so good that you might want to bring them home and preserve them forever. While normally fresh flowers only last for up to 3 days when kept in water, dehydrated ones can last for years, allowing us to enjoy the flavours of spring for a long time.
Dehydrated edible flowers can be used in several recipes, offering an antioxidant boost to the body and a floral kick to recipes. All the edible flowers like roses, tulips, lavender, chamomile, violets, nasturtiums, calendula, pansies and marigolds are suitable to dehydrate for preservation. Their poppingcolours with red, orange, yellow and pink turn a bit darker and dull after dehydration, but it doesn't affect theirbeautifull looks. While freshly bloomed flowers look pleasing with their widely spread petals popping with colours, dehydrated ones encapsulate a vintage appealand look uniquely beautiful. Talking about the flavours, dehydration removes the water content from flowers therefore the flavours are deeper and more concentrated than their fresh counterparts.
From making a simple brew to creating something complex like a cake or biryani, the uses of dehydrated flowers have been going on for centuries and continue to delight. This spring, if you are looking for ways to use your food dehydrator, consider dehydrating fresh spring blooms to preserve them for a long time. And use them for a variety of cooking applications to improve your culinary game.
7 Ways To Include Dehydrated Flowers In Recipes
1) Addition To Baked Goods
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Dehydrated flowers, like rose petals or lavender, enhance baked goods with their delicate beauty and subtle flavour. After careful preparation and dehydration, these blooms are delicately placed on top of cakes, cookies and muffins, adding an elegant flavour and look. They add a floral fragrance, colour, and aroma to baked treats, which enhances as the dishes bake.
2) Make Salads Flavourful
Dehydrated flowers creatively enhance the flavour and appeal of salads. Flowers like nasturtium, rose, tulip, pansy and hibiscus are popular choices for salads. They infuse every vegetable with a floral essence and will leave the guests wondering where this delightful flavour is coming from.
3) Make Infused Cocktails and Teas
Infused flower cocktails and teas give a floral enchantment to tastebuds with a refreshing kick. Flower-infused teas give an antioxidant boost and replenish the body with several health benefits. Flower-infused cocktails give a floral punch with a spirited flavour, perfect for springtime parties.
4) Sprinkle On Soups, Stir Fries And Rice Dishes
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Dehydrated flowers can be sprinkled on stir-fries, soups and several rice recipes, like biryani and fried rice. The blue pea flower extract is used in the preparation of many rice-based dishes, like fried rice and steamed rice, which adds a pop of blue colour and a subtle floral flavour to the dish. The use of dehydrated flowers is seen a lot in Indian cuisines, where the flowers add a royal touch to the recipes.
5) Add Floral Essence To Desserts
Desserts get way more exciting and delectable with the addition of dehydrated flowers. As the floral aroma and taste are infused with sugary treats, they get a deeper and lip-smacking piquancy. Several desserts, like gulab jamun, rasmalai, kunafeh and Japanese mochi balls, use flowers like roses to get their iconic complexion.
6) Platter Decoration
Dried flowers look just as good as fresh flowers. It can be a perfect decoration material to enhance the appeal of your dinner or meal platter. To use dried flowers for platter decoration, select a variety of dried blooms. Arrange them in clusters or sprinkle them across the platter. Consider colours and textures for a pleasing arrangement. Ensure the platter is clean and dry before adding the flowers. Place the food items around the flowers for an elegant touch.
7) Making Flavoured Butter Candles
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The mild and floral flavour of dried flowers can also be used to flavour butter candles. To make flavoured butter candles, melt unsalted butter in a saucepan. Add herbs or spices like rosemary or cinnamon for scent and flavour. Pour the melted butter into candle moulds, leaving room for a wick. Insert a wick into each mould. Let the butter solidify, then trim the wicks. Enjoy the aromatic ambiance!
Get creative with flowers in your recipes this spring and use them in the dishes to see how well they enhance the flavour. Once you start adding dehydrated flowers to your meals, you’ll always look for an excuse to use them regularly.
