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Pickled Magnolia Flowers

Pickled Magnolia Flowers is a modern British recipe for a classic pickle of magnolia flowers preserved in sweetened vinegar. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Pickled Magnolia Flowers.

prep time

20 minutes

cook time

60 minutes

Total Time:

80 minutes

Additional Time:

(+over-night chilling)

Serves:

6

Rating:

Tags : Vegetarian RecipesBritish Recipes

Magnolias are an ancient flowering plant that herald the arrival of spring. Even better, the flower buds and petals are edible, with a pronounced clove/ginger flavour. They can be added, raw, to salads and lend themselves to pickling. Not that it’s the flower petals that are edible and are best picked as buds that are on the verge of opening, or which have just opened. However, it should be noted that the base of the flowers are bitter and need to be cut off. The cores of the flowers should also be removed and discarded. Using the method described here, the petals/flower buds take 2-3 days to pickle and will keep in the refrigerator for up to a month. The good news is that one of the best varieties of magnolia for pickling is also one of the commonest, Magnolia x soulangeana (the common purple and pink saucer magnolia).



As well as being pickled, magnolia petals can also be dried and powdered for use as a spice that works as a substitute for ginger. The petals can also be preserved in sugar or honey syrup for use in cocktails or as a substitute for preserved stem ginger.

Unless you’re in east Asia, magnolia is not really a wild food. However, because of its early flowering it’s a common garden tree and I include it in my list of foods that can be foraged and now include it amongst the urban foraged foods.

Ingredients:

10-12 young magnolia flowers or large flower buds
250ml (1 cup) rice wine vinegar
50g (1/4 cup) white sugar
Pinch of sea salt

Method:

Gently wash and dry the flowers, removing any brown bracts from around the buds. Discard any bruised petals and if using opened flowers detach from the base. If you have unopened buds cut the stems right to the base of the flower and discard this portion.

Sterilize a large jar then pack the flowers fairly tightly inside. For individual petals it’s best to roll into scrolls before packing in.

Combine the vinegar, sugar and salt in a small pan and bring just to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Take off the heat and pour straight over the marigold petals, ensuring that they are completely covered. Carefully secure the lid tightly and invert the jar (this ensures that any trapped air is warmed by the hot liquid). Set aside to cool then transfer to the refrigerator to store.

Allow to mature for 3 days before opening and consuming. Keep in the fridge after opening.