Create your own delicately flavored sugars to add a touch of fragrant sweetness to teas, fruit, baked goods and more. These simple homemade culinary delights make lovely, tasty gifts or a great addition to your pantry stash for added flavor in dishes.
Lavender Sugar Mix
1/4 c. Lavender Flowers (food grade)
1 1/2 c. Granulated sugar
Mix the two together, cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest 2 days in a dry place, stirring daily.
Then toss, cover completely with plastic wrap and let stand 4 to 5 days longer or until both the flowers and sugar are dry, stirring every day or so. If sugar has stuck to the bottom of bowl, gently tap bowl on the counter to loosen.
Rose Sugar Mix
1 cup tightly packed, unsprayed, fragrant rose petals*
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
Mix together rose petals and sugar in a glass or stainless bowl. Cover bowl halfway with plastic wrap. Let stand 2 days in dry place, stirring every day.
Then toss, cover completely with plastic wrap and let stand 4 to 5 days longer or until petals and sugar are dry, stirring every day or so. If sugar has stuck to the bottom of the bowl, gently tap bowl on the counter to loosen.
Process mixture in a blender or clean coffee grinder. (Get old coffee out of the grinder by grinding a piece of stale bread!)
* Be sure to use unsprayed rose petals and, after you rinse them, let the petals get thoroughly dry before you add them to the sugar. Old-fashioned and heirloom roses produce very fragrant blooms that will perfume the sugar best.
See Also: Homemade Vanilla Sugar
© Can Stock Photo Inc. / matka_Wariatka
you can do the same process with a vanilla bean for vanilla sugar.