From Rosalind Creasy

Both savory and sweet butters can be made with flowers.* Probably the most versatile savory butters are made from chive blossoms or nasturtium flowers. Serve these savory butters with a crisp French bread or melt them over vegetables, fish, or poultry. Or also add savory herbs, lemon juice, or other flavorings such as ground chipotle peppers or grated fresh ginger. Sweet flower butters can be made with roses, violets, lavender, and pineapple sage and are a treat on egg breads, sugar cookies, or as a mystery filling between layers of pound or sponge cake. Not all edible flowers are equally tasty. Before you prepare the blossoms taste a few petals to make sure they please your palate.

Nasturtium Butter
4 oz (125 g) unsalted organic butter (1 stick), room temperature
12 to 18 organic nasturtium flowers
2 to 4 fresh nasturtium leaves, or a few sprigs of fresh parsley
3 or 4 chive leaves (optional)

Chive Blossom Butter
4 oz (125 g) unsalted organic butter (1 stick), room temperature
10 to 12 large, barely open organic common chive flowers, florets (petal clusters) separated
2 small sprigs of fresh parsley, or 8 or 10 large chive leaves

Rose Butter
4 oz (125 g) unsalted organic butter (1 stick), room temperature
1 teaspoon superfine sugar, or finely granulated sugar (sometimes called baker’s sugar)
¼ teaspoon almond extract
Generous handful of organic rose petals from the fragrant old-fashioned types, such as ‘Belle of Portugal,’ any of the rugosa roses and damasks, and the ‘Eglantine’ rose (enough to yield 2 tablespoons of chopped petals)

Making any flower butter involves the same process. First, remove the petals from the flowers and wash them well in cold water—check for critters. Gently pat them dry in a towel or dry them in a salad spinner. Using a very sharp knife, mince the flowers and any leaves. (Mincing is easier if you roll the blossoms into a small ball before cutting them.) Cut a stick of room-temperature butter into 6 or 8 pieces and then mash them with a fork. When the butter is fairly soft, slowly incorporate any flavorings and the flowers and leaves. With a rubber spatula put the mixture into a small butter crock or decorative bowl. Refrigerate until serving time. Flower butters can be frozen in sealed containers for 2 months.

All three recipes make a little more than ½ cup (125g).
~~
*Edible Flower Disclaimer
Rosalind Creasy is author of Rosalind Creasy’s Recipes From The Garden: 200 Exciting Recipes from the Author of the Complete Book of Edible Landscaping from which this recipe was adapted.
Image Credit: © Rosalind Creasy
OrganicToBe.org | OrganicToGo.com
[Permanent Link] [Top]