It doesn't get much better than deep-fried flowers from the Black Locust Tree! It's an explosion of aroma, perfume and sweetness! Come into my post and you can learn to make this great treat yourself!
It's @old-guy-photos' Tree Tuesday, so I want to feature one of my favorite trees. Many of you know that I eat leaves, flowers, fruits or nuts from a lot of different trees. The flowers of Black Locust trees (Robinia pseudoacacia) are beautiful, fragrant, and so, so delicious! Deep-fried black locust flowers are a real treat! And they are so easy!
1. Forage Black Locust Flowers
I'll make a post soon with more details about identifying Black Locust trees and other ways to use their flowers. One nice thing about foraging black locust flowers is that there is no shortage of them! One tree can produce so many flowers! There are plenty for people and the bees that love their sweet nectar, too!
2. In the Kitchen
I'm sure some of you can improve on this recipe. But I like it because it's so simple -- it's just flour, water, flowers, and the deep-frying oil of your choice. That's it.
Start by mixing plain white flour and water until it's a thin batter, like a tempura batter. The goal is to just have a thin coating on the black locust flowers, from ingredients that won't interfere with the flower's sweet flavor.
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Dip a cluster of black locust flower into the batter, and let it drain off a bit. There shouldn't be a lot of batter - just a thin coating.
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Drop that flower cluster into hot oil. I use an old-fashioned electric deep fryer that I got years ago at a yard sale. I set the temperature at 350F degrees. You can use whatever mild-flavored oil you prefer for frying.
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It takes a few minutes for the flowers to cook and lightly brown. It's good to turn them over at least once. Don't walk off and forget them! When they are a uniform light brown, take them out of the oil and lay them on a towel, paper bag, or paper towels. If you keep them in a warm oven, they will stay warm and crisp until you have the whole batch ready.
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3. Enjoy!
These deep-fried black locust flowers are delicious! I topped this batch with a drizzle of warm homestead honey that I steeped with finely chopped Blue Girl rose petals. It's a wonderfully fragrant and delicious rose that really kicks up the flavor of honey!
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This is a special homestead treat, for sure! The fragrance of the warm black locust flowers is so aromatic and intoxicating. The fragrance and flavor of the Blue Girl rose - and the smell of fresh spearmint tea - adds even more to the whole experience. This is a snack that @dutchess would appreciate for her Sunday Scent Experience! It all goes so well with the tartness of a homegrown rhubarb compote, too.
What Do You Think?
I hope you get to enjoy Black Locust flowers sometime! Deep-fried, they are better than any donut, that's for sure!
- Do you eat Black Locust flowers?
- Do Black Locust trees grow near you?
- Would you try my deep-fried black locust flowers?
- What's your favorite oil for deep-frying?
I write about foraging because I believe that we can all have lives that are richer, more secure, more grounded, and more interesting by getting to know the plants and the land around us – in our yards, our parks, and our wilderness.
I would like Steemit to be the premier site for Foraging on the Internet! If you have any thoughts about foraging, or experiences to share, write a post and be sure to use the Foraging tag. And check out the @foraging-trail to see curated quality posts about foraging. Happy Foraging!
** Haphazard Homestead **
