Ανθοί πορτοκαλιάς. Πηγή: Στάλω Λαζάρου.
The petals of the blossoms of bitter orange, lemon, orange and other citrus trees are used in the preparation of this exceptionally fragrant sweet.
Name - Recipe
Γλυκό του κουταλιού από άνθη.
2 glasses of bitter orange blossoms (or other citrus fruits)
2 glasses of sugar
1 glass of water
2 tbsp lemon juice
Boil the water and sugar in a small saucepan and allow the syrup to thicken. Towards the end, add a spoonful of lemon juice. Leave it aside to cool down. Remove the petals from the blossoms and fill two glasses with them. Place the blossoms in boiling water and boil for half a minute. Immerse them in ice water for five minutes. Repeat the same process 2 more times. Drain the blossoms. Transfer them to the cold syrup and boil them until the syrup thickens again. Just before it is ready, add the second spoonful of lemon juice. Fill the jars, cap them and turn them upside down for 3 minutes. (MANRE 2009, 20)
Boiling.
Boiling in syrup.
How do we know when the syrup is ready: Place some syrup in a spoon and let it drip away in the pot. When the syrup flows away easily, it means it is still watery and not ready. Keep on boiling for a few minutes and test again until the flow separates into drops. When a final drop remains hanging from the spoon, it means that the density is right and the syrup is ready. If not, that means that the syrup is not ready and needs a bit more boiling. Repeat the testing procedure again until the syrup has the right consistency.
If the syrup is properly thickened, then the spoon sweet can be preserved for a very long period of time in a cool, dry place without having to be kept in a refrigerator. (MANRE, 2009)
Additional information and bibliography
Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment, Department of Agriculture (2009). Traditional spoon sweets and jams, Press and Information Office, Nicosia.
Varvara Yangou
Ανθοί μανταρινιάς. Πηγή: Στάλω Λαζάρου.
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