Paulownia Tree, the tree with the large purple flowers that grows along the roads and railroads was brought to the US in the mid 1800’s as an exotic ornamental. Back in the day, China used the seed pods as packing peanuts for shipping china before we realized that the billions of seeds inside those “packing peanuts” were growing into trees alongside our rivers, roads and railways. Now we don’t like it. Paulownia is a pest popping up everywhere. It is one of the fastest growing trees in the world. Medicinal uses for different parts of the tree go back centuries in China. The flowers alone have a history in treatment for acne and toe fungus. But that’s not why I’m sharing my tips with you. Here’s the cool part. The flowers are edible raw. You can put them in a salad. Or you can cook them and make a tasty syrup. The flowers are purple, yet their syrup is amber. To make things easy, the fragrant flowers float from out of reach, high above, down to the ground and lie waiting for you to pick them up. In minutes you can easily gather a quart of fresh flowers from a good patch of Paulownia.
Paulownia Syrup Recipe
- 4 cups freshly fallen flowers
- 4 cups boiling water
- 4 cups white sugar
- 1/2 lemon’s juice strained through jelly bag
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
Collect flowers and lightly wash the bugs off if you must. I gently pick through them instead of washing them to preserve the nectar and pollen for flavor. Put flowers, brown base and all, into a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Sink the flowers under a small plate put into the bowl to keep them under water. Let stand for 24 hours. The water will turn amber. The next day, strain the amber liquid through a jelly bag and measure to make sure you have 4 cups (adjust sugar amount to match the liquid amount if not 4 cups). Strain through jelly bag again to ensure jewel toned amber syrup. Place liquid in pot. Add sugar, lemon and vanilla. Stir over low heat and bring to simmering boil to make sure the sugar is dissolved. Taste the deliciousness and adjust the lemon and vanilla if you wish for more. I like it with these amounts so I can taste the exotic flavor of Paulownia. This makes about 8 cups. Can in jars of your choice for 10 minutes using standard hot water bath canning practices. https://www.healthycanning.com/water-bath-canning-step-by-step. Or skip the canning and refrigerate your syrup for immediate use. It keeps in the fridge for weeks.
This syrup works over ice cream and as a seltzer water flavor. I make a one of a kind margarita with mine by following the mocktail recipe below and substituting 8 Tablespoons Tequila for the water. I also salt the rims of the glasses pictured. It’s mighty tasty. For general use, I just substitute this syrup for sugar or simple syrup in teas and cocktails. You won’t find this flavor just anywhere. . . yet.
Paulownia Lime Mocktail Recipe
- 4 Tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice
- 5 Tablespoons Paulownia Syrup
- 4 Tablespoons water
- Ice
Mix all ingredients and shake with ice. Pour over ice into glasses garnished with a lime. This makes two small glasses (pictured) or one 6.5 oz. drink.
Paulownia Jelly Recipe
- 2 cups Paulownia juice prepared ahead of time
- 1.75 oz. powdered pectin
- 2 cups of sugar
Just like for Paulownia Syrup, collect flowers and lightly wash the bugs off if you must. I gently pick through them instead of washing them to preserve the nectar and pollen for flavor. Put flowers, brown base and all, into a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Sink the flowers under a small plate put into the bowl to keep them under water. Let stand for 24 hours. The water will turn amber. The next day, strain the amber liquid through a jelly bag and measure to make sure you have 2 cups for this recipe. I usually make a huge bowl of them and divide the liquid for multiple recipes. They are so easy to collect and the extraction process is the same for simple syrup and jelly.
Pour the juice into a clean medium pot. Bring to a simmer. Add the pectin and stir until it is completely dissolved. Bring the mixture to a boil while stirring constantly. Stir in the sugar and bring the liquid to a full boil. Boil hard for 1 minute while stirring. Pour into your clean pre-prepared canning jars and top with prepared lids. This makes about 8 four oz. jars. Use standard hot water bath canning methods, boiling for 10 minutes. https://www.healthycanning.com/water-bath-canning-step-by-step
You can eat that? 