I have been wanting to candy violets for a few years now, and this year was the year I finally tried it.
Notes:
- Pick your violets as soon as you notice them opening; this will give the best flavor.
- I picked mine from my backyard -- I don't use pesticides on my lawn so I knew they'd be safe to eat.
- I had both purple and white violets. The flavor was similar between them, but I think the purple ones are prettier.
- I made superfine sugar by grinding regular granulated sugar in my mortar and pestle until it was a finer texture.
- Make sure you paint every surface of the flower with the egg white.
- Keeping the stem on the flowers while working with them will make it easier to paint them and cover them in sugar.
- I used them to decorate a cake!
Verdict: They were very pretty and turned out how they were supposed to, though I was really skeptical that they'd fully dry. The flavor was really delicate (to the point where I could barely taste it) and I think it is because my flowers may not have been especially fresh -- they may have been open for a couple of days before I picked them. I would consider making these again for a fancy event.
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RECIPE: Candied Violets (In Jennie's Kitchen)
