Gather some edible flowers from the garden and press them to make these tasty lollipops.
Gather Edible Flower Petals
Collect pesticide-free, edible flower petals. Some edible flowers include rose petals, nasturtium and pansies. Wash and dry the petals.
Select Heavy Books
Preserving botanicals by pressing is an old but effective way to preserve leaves and blooms. It doesn’t take any special equipment; grab a couple of thick, heavy books. The weight of the books will help flatten the petals.
Line a Page in the Book
Open the book to the middle. Line the page with a clean sheet of paper. Lay the petals on the paper. Give them some space. Try not to overlap the petals.
Stack and Wait
Continue lining the book with paper and petals. When you are done, close the book. Stack another heavy book on top. Let the flowers press and dry out for a week.
Ingredients
To make the lollipops you will need: dried, pressed flowers / light corn syrup / white sugar / water / lollipop sticks / a silicone baking mat or wax paper / cookie sheet / candy thermometer
Mix the Ingredients
Bring to together a 1/4 cup of water, 1 cup of white sugar and 1 cup of light corn syrup in a heavy-bottomed pot. Stir to dissolve.
Heat the Sugar Syrup
Bring the syrup to a boil. Do not stir.
Prepare the Flowers
While the sugar syrup begins to boil, prepare the silicone mat with the pressed flowers. Arrange the flowers on the mat. Leave plenty of room for the sticks. Space them about 2-3 inches apart.
Monitor Syrup Temperature
The sugar syrup needs to reach 295 degrees F. This is the hard-crack stage for candy.
Let the Syrup Cool
Once the hard-crack temperature is reached, turn off the heat. The syrup will be extremely hot. Pour the candy into a glass measuring cup with a spout. This will help make it easier to pour. Let the mixture cool slightly. It should be the consistency of pancake syrup.
Pour the Syrup Onto the Flowers
Quickly but carefully pour the syrup onto the flowers. Make a circular shape as best as you can. The syrup will run slightly.
Add the Sticks
Press the lollipop sticks into the candy. Let the lollipops cool until completely hardened.Wrap in plastic and tie with a simple ribbon. They make great gifts!
Pretty Pops
These lovely floral lollipops would make great party favors for bridal showers, teas, birthday parties and garden parties.
