It’s mid-August, and people are already talking about fall. You can’t take two steps without tripping over some sort of limited-edition pumpkin spice something or another. Not us, though. We’re here to remind you that there is officially still an entire month of summer left! The birds aren’t thinking of winging it south yet, the cicadas are singing at maximum volume, and the late summer flowers are just getting into full bloom.
In case the title of this post wasn’t enough to clue you in, it’s those flowers that we are interested in here. Foraging for wild foods is one of my favorite activities. Summertime foraging for most people typically centers around mushrooms (which I can’t fault anyone for, because mushrooms are awesome) or on berries (also perfectly admirable). Wildflowers, though, often fly under the radar when it comes to bringing wild food to the table. This is a shame, because there are some amazing flavors just sitting out there in the field.
Several years ago, I was researching edible wild plants in the area to expand my foraging repertoire, when I saw mention of Queen Anne’s Lace (Dacus carota) flowers being used to make floral jelly. Intrigued, I shared my desire to try it out with Chele (who was already quite enamored with floral flavors in cooking). After discovering there were a number of recipes for it online, we picked the one that looked best to us and gave it a shot. We both instantly fell in love with its light, fruity/floral flavor and delicate peachy-gold color. It has become one of Chele’s absolute favorite flavors, to the point where we now try to make enough every summer to ensure we will have enough to last the entire year. It’s perfect for spreading on toast or anything else you might use store-bought jelly on. It also pairs nicely with sunflower butter, and is fantastic stirred into yogurt.
Last summer while we were collecting our QAL blossoms, I took a particular interest in the Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) growing rampantly in the same area. Aside from the striking purple blossoms, Chele and I both loved the scent – an intense, herbal aroma like a mixture of oregano and mint. I knew it was edible (it is in the mint family, all of which are safe to eat), but I could find very little information on culinary uses. There were some references to making tea out of it, or using the leaves as an oregano replacement… but most of the “bergamot” recipes I encountered were for the completely unrelated bergamot fruit (Citrus bergamia), which is a type of citrus from the Mediterranean. Not particularly helpful. So what would Wild Bergamot flowers be like as a jelly? We needed to know.
As our first batch of Wild Bergamot jelly was underway, I was starting to get worried. The house had filled with a pungent, “resin-y” smell. The “tea” that formed from steeping the flowers was a sickly greenish-brown, and the tiny bit I sampled unsweetened almost made me choke. I was sure I would be dumping it all down the drain. But when the lemon juice went in, it changed to a deep rose pink. When I finally sampled the finished product, all of my fears were laid to rest. This jelly is very different from the Queen Anne’s Lace: it’s sweet, but has a bold herbal presence. It works well as a spread on toast and such, but where it really shines is as a glaze or added to sauces for savory dishes. This is fantastic paired with stronger meats such as lamb or duck, or as a glaze for roasted vegetables (especially roasted kabocha squash – that alone is good enough to warrant making this jelly!).
Disclaimer: This post assumes you know how to safely and properly identify, handle, and collect Queen Anne’s Lace and Wild Bergamot. Eating the wrong plant could result in illness or other harm (Queen Anne’s Lace in particular can be confused with poisonous hemlock! Be sure you know the differences). Gastricurious only posts recipes for foraged foods that we know to be safe, but the reader assumes all responsibility for the safety of themselves and anyone they prepare foraged foods for. Please make sure you know what you are doing before you start bringing wild foods into your kitchen! Also, be sure to check any local laws and regulations regarding collecting wild plants, and only collect from areas where you are authorized to do so (Gastricurious most certainly cannot be held liable for whatever happens if you are confronted by a shotgun-wielding landowner who does not take kindly to trespassers).
Wildflower Jelly (Queen Anne’s Lace or Wild Bergamot)
Ingredients
- 2 cups Queen Anne's Lace blossoms OR Wild Bergamot blossoms ,tightly packed
- 4 cups water
- 1 package pectin (such as Sure-Jell)
- 3 Tbs lemon juice
- 3 cups sugar
Instructions
- Rinse flowers in cold water, and carefully inspect for any bugs or debris (especially if using Queen Anne's Lace). Trim stems, and then lay out flowers on paper towels to drain.
- Boil water in a medium pot. Remove from heat and add flowers, being sure to fully submerge them. Allow to steep for 30 minutes. Strain through cheesecloth into a large bowl. Reserve liquid and discard flowers.
- Measure out 3 cups of the reserved wildflower "tea" and add to a large, non-reactive pot (we use our large non-stick braising dish for our jelly making). Add lemon juice and pectin. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring continuously.
- As soon as the mixture reaches a full rolling boil, add the sugar. Continue to stir constantly, and return to a full boil. Continue boiling for 1 minute longer, then remove from heat. Skim off any foam/skin that has formed on the surface.
- Pour jelly into sterile, preheated jars, leaving approximately ¼" of space from the top lip. Carefully wipe down the lips of the jars with a damp paper towel or cloth. Put lids in place and tighten as firmly as possible by hand.
- Prepare a boiling water bath (ideally, you should set this up ahead of time so it is ready to go as soon as you are finished filling your jars), and process jars for 5 minutes.
- Leave jars out to cool at room temperature. Once lids pop, they may be safely stored. Any that do not pop should be refrigerated immediately and used promptly.
Notes
- Both flowers used here bloom in mid to late summer (starting in mid to late July through late August here in the Chicago area).
- When preparing the Queen Anne’s Lace blossoms, be sure to completely remove the stem from the base of the flower to ensure the best flavor and color. Also be sure to check them thoroughly for insects and spiders – their lacy, branching structure tends to be a haven for all sorts of things that would rather not end up in your jelly.
- For Wild Bergamot, we snip the stem directly off the base of the flowerhead, but leave the green, leaf-like structures on the lower surface. Removing these might reduce the herbal flavor – whether that is a good or bad thing is a matter of personal preference. Alternately, you could pick out the individual purple “petals” (each one is actually a complete flower), and only use those. This would like give the jelly a much milder, sweeter flavor (again a matter of preference), but would also be very time consuming and require you to collect a larger number of flowers.
- The leaves of the Wild Bergamot plant are superb in their own right. When collecting the flowers, we recommend cutting the stems several inches below the base of the blossom in order to create sprigs of this fantastic herb. After you’ve snipped the flowerheads off to make your jelly, store the springs of fresh leaves in a plastic storage bag in the refrigerator for later use (the leaves will hold up perfectly for weeks). You can (and should) also dry some of the sprigs. The dried leaves can then be stored in an airtight container for use in your pantry. You can expect to see both fresh and dry Wild Bergamot leaves in future recipes here on Gastricurious.
