Madelene Hill preserves the flavors of some of the sweeter herbs in sugar. The flavors blend
and make lovely, subtle combinations to use instead of regular sugar in any cold food. Rose
and lemon-scented geraniums, lemon verbena, or orange and lemon zest are particularly good
to use in herb sugars.
You can pack fresh herb leaves in granulated white sugar in airtight containers. Stir every day
to prevent clumping. After the sugar stays dry and loose, remove the leaves before they
become crumbly, and use the finished 'herb sugar' in iced teas or desserts. Note: The aromatic
oils bake off, so they don't work well in baked or cooked dishes.
To make herbs into syrups to add to iced tea or lemonade or bake into custards or other
desserts, Madelene Hill recommends putting a handful of herb branches in a simmering sugar
syrup; remove them when the herbs lose their color and the syrup is fragrant. The syrup is
ready to use right away.
American colonists, who couldn't run to the store to buy candy when they had a sweet tooth,
made their own sweet treats out of herbs. They candied young angelica stems and ginger,
preserving the herb and bringing out its flavor with a crystal sugar shell. Although these may
not replace modern candies, they are wonderful to use as dessert garnishes or edible
decorations on cakes and pastries.
Cookbooks of the 1700s recommended this process for candied angelica. Harvest young
angelica stems and boil them until tender. Peel off the fibrous strings and simmer the stems
again until they become very green. Dry the stems and weigh them; add a pound of doublerefined
(very finely textured) sugar to each pound of angelica stems. Let the combination stand
for two days, then boil the blend until it becomes clear. Drain off the syrup. Spread another
pound of refined sugar over the angelica, set the stems on glass plates, and let them dry in a warm place
.
Violets and rose petals are even easier to candy. Brush a little egg white all over each flower and dip it in superfine or powdered sugar. Let the sugar dry into a clear coating, and store in an
airtight container.
