Spring in Japan is always a special time. The cherry trees explode in shades of pink. It is a magical moment during full bloom, gathered together with family and friends under the cherry trees, enjoying a picnic and celebrating the change of seasons. What do you bring to a picnic on this special occasion? I think there’s nothing more perfect than these Cherry Blossom Madeleines (桜マドレーヌ) to welcome the gifts of these beautiful trees!
All About Edible Cherry Blossoms
Are you curious to learn more about these edible cherry blossoms? Let’s go over one by one.
1. Are they really edible?
Yes, they are! Salt-pickled cherry blossoms are made with Yaezakura (八重桜), blossoms of more than five petals. They are carefully handpicked while the buds are still tender and young, then washed, drained and dried before they are sprinkled with salt. On the next day, the brine is squeezed out and the flowers are pickled in ume plum vinegar (梅酢) and let sit for about 3 days. Finally, they are dried in a single layer for another 3 days in the shade or until they are completely dried. To preserve, the blossoms are packed in a jar with salt. This way, they can be kept for one year.
2. Where can I get them?
You can purchase these salt-pickled cherry blossoms online here and this store ships internationally (NOT sponsored)! The pickled blossoms are not expensive at all, so they make a wonderful treat for many Japanese who live in overseas like me to have a taste of home.
3. How to get rid of salt and saltiness from the preserved cherry blossoms?
Before you use these flowers in your recipe, you need to rinse and soak them in water for some time. The soaking time depends on the recipe, varying from 5 minutes to 30 minutes.
Helpful Tips for Making Cherry Blossom Madeleines
Here are some tips that will help you make good Madeleines.
Use room-temperature eggs as they expand in volume when beaten. If you forget to take them out of the fridge, submerge the chilled eggs in warm water for several minutes and they will be good to use.Rest the batter in the refrigerator for at least one hour. I usually just refrigerate the batter overnight. By chilling the batter, it helps to give the madeleines their distinctive bumps (the bulging shape of the cookies).Be generous with the use of butter when coating the molds. It gives the Madeleines a nice golden color and helps to remove the baked cookies from the pan easily.Use a 1 Tbsp measuring spoon to transfer the batter. It’s the easiest way to measure the exact amount for each mold and not overfill.Use Madeleine pan as I think they conduct heat better than silicone molds, but I’ve seen some people make beautiful Madeleines with silicon molds, so it’s up to you.
Recipes Using Salt Pickled Cherry Blossoms
Aside from Madeleines, you can also use salt pickled cherry blossoms to make these delicious and pretty recipes to welcome the most anticipated season.
Cherry Blossoms Rice BallsCherry Blossom Milk PuddingCherry Blossom Cookies
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Other Madeleine Recipes:
Green Tea MadeleinesLavender Madeleines
