How to Candy Flowers

Flowers add bright color to desserts, cakes, and other plates.  For dishes where a little extra sweetness would be welcome, a great trick to increase their visual appeal is to candy them (candied flowers are also known as sugar glazed flowers or sometimes “crystallized flowers”).  Candying flowers is extremely easy as long as you make sure to use the correct ingredients.  You will need flowers, egg whites, and granulated sugar.

Use the Right Ingredients for Safety & Success

Flowers: Be sure to use only edible flowers for this technique (we’re using edible orchids here).  Not all flower varieties are naturally safe for human consumption, and many flowers sold in shops have been sprayed with chemicals that aren’t safe to eat.

Sugar: Though you could use conventional sugar, we highly recommend superfine sugar for candying flowers as the tiny crystals give better coverage and shine.

Egg Whites: The egg whites used in candying flowers are not cooked.  For your safety, you should use only pasteurized egg whites (usually sold in cartons) or egg whites you’ve separated from pasteurized shell eggs.

How to Candy Flowers:

1. If your egg whites are super fresh, and the egg whites are too thick to brush on, it may help to lightly beat them (not so vigorously that you begin to see bubbles) and/or add a little water to loosen them up.

2. Either dip the flowers in the egg white (this works better with large petals than whole flowers) or brush the egg whites onto the flowers using a very well washed pastry brush.

3. Dip the flowers in sugar or sprinkle sugar over the top. Shake off the excess.

4. Let the flowers dry on parchment paper on the counter for several hours (ideally overnight).

5. Store in an airtight container for up to a few weeks.

6. Use your candied flowers to decorate cakes, cupcakes, top ice cream and custards, or as a plate garnish for almost any sweet treat.

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Edible Flower Recipes
Culinary Techniques
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