I plan on using this cherry blossom syrup as the sweetener in cherry lemonade, or in a shrub with today's Cherry Blossom Vinegar when it is ready, and will need to come up with a few cocktails and desserts to showcase this as well. It really is a glorious color. Admittedly, I added a teaspoon of cherry juice from the Sour Cherries Roasted with Black Peppercorns and Tarragon that I made this morning. Without this addition, the syrup will still be delicious, but will be a more prim and proper Ballerina pink.
Makes about 1 cup and a half of syrup.
4 cups cherry blossoms from an untreated tree, washed and dried
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cups water
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp cherry juice (optional)
Wash a heat safe container well and fill it with boiling water. Set aside.
Place the sugar, water and lemon juice in a small pan over medium heat. Stir to combine and let come to a rolling boil.
As soon as it boils, set a timer for five minutes and let it bubble away.
While it does, pour the boiling water out of the container and dry it well. Pack the cherry blossoms in there tightly.
When the five minutes are up, stir in the cherry juice, if using, and pour the boiling syrup over the packed blossoms. They will immediately shrivel up to nothing.
Let the syrup cool to room temperature, cover and place in the fridge overnight.
The next morning scoop the spent blossoms out with a slotted spoon and use the syrup as mentioned above, or let me know how you plan on using it!