A fun thing to do this time of year (in NC) is to gather a bunch of Wisteria Flowers and make a cool delicious drink with them.
Wisteria Flowers are edible and can be used in a variety of ways. They can be eaten raw as they are or mixed in salads. Wisteria Flower pancakes are a fun way to start your day.
To make a refreshing drink, make a cold infusion of the flowers by adding a bunch of flowers to some cool clean water and allow it to sit for a while or even over night. If you plan to let it sit over night it is a good idea to put the bottle in the fridge. Try to take as many of the flower stems off as you can (as you can see I didn't do such a good job of that). Use only the flowers, as the rest of the plant can be toxic if ingested, so never eat the seeds or leaves. The water will take on a slight lavender color and will have a flowery/sweet taste, so when it's ready, strain the flowers and put the drink in the fridge, it will last a couple of days. Don't let the flowers sit in the water too long or they will start to decompose and cloud the drink. Enjoy!
Peace
Very interesting post.
ReplyDeleteThanks, glad you enjoyed it!
ReplyDeleteOh, I can not wait to try this... My area is being overthrown by wisteria and I can't help but to snatch up what I can to make use of it! I just need to know what to do with all of it, thanks for this idea!
ReplyDeleteGlad to be of service. Let me know what you think of the drink when you make it. Don't you just love Spring!
DeletePeace
It will only last a few days? What about as a body spray (such as rose water is used)? Is it just non ingestable or does it smell bad?
ReplyDeleteNever thought to use it as a body spray. Hydrosols, like rose water, are the water that is left over from the distillation process when making essential oils. They contain small amounts of essential oil which is anti-microbial, so they don't go bad as quickly as an infusion would. If you give it a try let me know how it works out.
ReplyDeletePeace.