Flowers are popping up everywhere, but this year the magnolias have been putting on an exceptional show. Walking is my favorite way to get from point A to point B. I walk most places and it has been so nice to see the purple, pink, and white flowers on every block. I like to tromp through the alleys, secret stairways, and side streets, looking at the plants and trees that are a bit more unkempt than the manicured front lawns.
It’s these lesser traveled pathways where I will typically find someone foraging for blackberries or fruit in the summer or picking flowers from bushes that have been ignored and left to run wild. But in the spring, it’s usually only me and the dog walkers avoiding deep puddles and admiring the bushes and trees. Almost everyone in this town has a backyard with fruit trees, nut trees, and gardens that spill into the alleys. On my recent walks, I’ve been eyeing trees that hang over fences into the alleys, looking for the perfect opportunity to collect a few magnolia blossoms. [A Quick Note on Foraging: If you want to forage, follow some basic guidelines - ask first, harvest only what you need, and don’t take it all. Only harvest a small amount from healthy, well-established trees and try not to damage parts of the tree by harvesting too much.]
Magnolias are one of the most delicious edible flowers. Some magnolias have a bitter flavor, but when you find a nice one, it tastes like mild, floral ginger. On my walks, I’ve occasionally stopped to pluck a petal and take a nibble to test the flavor, making a note of which trees I liked. After we collected a few magnolia flowers this week, I made infused syrup and magnolia pickles. Both infused syrups and pickles are incredibly simple to make, and both can be easily adjusted to suit your preference.
For the magnolia syrup, I made a simple syrup with equal parts water and sugar and boiled it until the sugar dissolved. After removing from the heat, I packed about 75g of magnolia petals into a quart-sized jar (just about enough petals to fill the jar), poured the simple syrup over the top, and then closed the lid. I wanted the magnolia flavor to come through, so I let the syrup steep for 24 hours before straining it into a sterilized bottle and storing it in the refrigerator.
The biggest challenge was deciding how to use the syrup. I froze some syrup to use in iced tea or cocktails later in the season, but I used the majority of the syrup to poach rhubarb for these rhubarb cream puffs from Abra Beren’s new cookbook, Pulp. If you follow me on Instagram, you probably saw these beauties earlier this week. The magnolia syrup added a light floral aroma and a hint of ginger flavor to the rhubarb. The results were stunning. I made the cream puffs slightly smaller than the original recipe, but they are so indulgent that I will probably make them even smaller next time. Berens’ other cookbooks are on heavy rotation in my kitchen, and I can already tell I will be reaching for this book often throughout the year as more fruits come into season.
Magnolia pickles were an entirely new concept for me, but completely ingenious given magnolia’s gingery flavor. I came across a recipe for these pickles in Erin Bunting and Jo Facer’s book, The Edible Flower. The process is like making any other pickle: simmer vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small pan, remove it from the heat, and pour it over magnolia petals in a jar. Let the pickles cool, then refrigerate for at least 24 hours before eating.
The ginger flavor of these pickles is more pronounced than the infused syrup and reminds me of sushi ginger but with a floral aroma. I love how they turned out and look forward to playing with the brine to make it my own. In addition to using the pickles for a veggie sushi lunch, I also used chopped them and added them to fried rice, but I think they would be great on a charcuterie board, served with cheese, or pairing them with an eggplant katsu curry (recipe in The Edible Flower), which I will be trying when eggplants are back on the scene.
I’m curious if these pickles could be canned for long-term storage, but I’m unsure if the delicate petals would withstand the canning process. Open to suggestions if you have thoughts on preserving these delicate little treats.
On my path of learning about edible flowers, magnolias have been one of the most delightful surprises. If you have cooked or baked with magnolias, please let me know! They are such tasty and versatile edible flowers, and I’m excited to learn new ways to cook with them. If you haven’t ever eaten magnolia, I encourage you to take a walk around the neighborhood and take a little nibble while admiring the trees.
Until next time, take care and eat well!