Here in southern New England, we have about two weeks in late May when the black locusts bloom. This mildly invasive pioneer tree is often found along waterways, highways, along the edges of open fields, and in poor soil; the roots of black locust alter the nitrogen content of soil. The bark can be quite rough looking, deeply grooved and grey. The only safely edible parts of the locust tree are the flowers. There are ways to make the beans in the pods edible, but we have not bothered trying to detoxify them as a food source. The flowers are fantastic raw, with a sweet, pea-like flavor. We have flavored sugar with the blossoms, as well as cooking up a few other recipes and making a peasant wine. We also make a simple flower infused drink by soaking the blossoms in water with lemons, and then straining and lightly sweetening the drink; it's very refreshing on a warm spring day!
Black Locust Custard
Black Locust Flower Jelly
Black Locust Flower Doughnuts
Black Locust Flower Syrup
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| Black Locust Flower Infused Sugar |
Thanks for sharing. I have a question for you. Do you make anything with purple nettle or "dead nettle?" It grows wild here, and is a pest to the gardens. Before I pull most of it, I wondered if it can be used for tea making or anything else. I would love to see recipes if you have any.
ReplyDeleteDon't pull the deadnettle! It's one of the earliest things that flowers, and bees depend on it greatly.
ReplyDeleteSame goes with dandelions, don't spray or mow them (if you can stand it), the bees rely on them as an early spring food source.
Thanks for the black locust recipes, we have lots of those on our farm, going to make jelly tomorrow!