Edible Petal and Proscecco Jelly
This recipe can be adapted a million different ways using a host of different edible flowers. You can use Pimms or Champagne, white wine or whatever your favourite tipple is. I’ve made a Gin & Tonic Jelly with lemon flavoured oxalis flowers in it. We also make a wonderful Rose and Prosecco Jelly using homemade rose petal syrup. Alternatively you could make a non alchoholic flower jelly using clear soft drinks such as grape juice, apple juice etc or ready made soft drinks such as Elderflower Cordial. The only thing to remember when making floral jellies is that the more alcohol in the recipe then the more gelatine will be needed to set it.
Recipe
10 leaves of gelatin
750 ml bottle of Prosecco
150ml of Elderflower Cordial
A large handful of organic edible flower petals*.
Optional soft fruit if you wish.
Put the individual jelly moulds or large mould in the fridge along with the Prosecco and chill for at least an hour. This is particularly important if you are using a fizzy drink such as Proscecco. The colder the ingredients going into the jelly then the faster the jelly will set. If it sets quickly then it will trap the bubbles within the jelly and these will burst as you eat the jelly releasing flavour and ‘fizz’.
Place the gelatin in a bowl of cold water to soften for a couple of minutes.
Put the elderflower cordial into a small pan and add the squeezed out sheets of gelatin. Gentle heat until the sheets are completely dissolved. Take off the heat and allow to cool for a couple of minutes.
This next stage is a bit of faff but it does make the end result far more attractive. Put one third of the gelatine mix into a jug with 1/3 of the Proscecco and give a quick but thorough stir. Pour into the mould and add 1/3 of the fresh flowers giving them a gentle nudge to make sure they are trapped within the jelly. Put the jelly in the fridge and either re-cork or wrap a bit of clingfilm around the top of the Prosecco and return to the fridge as well. Chill for at least 45 minutes or possibly a little longer until the jelly is just firm to the touch. Repeat this process two more times although you might need to very slightly warm the gelatin mixture again in the pan if it has set in the meantime. This method ensures an even distribution of flowers throughout the jelly (likewise if you are adding fruit or even mint leaves). Otherwise there is a danger of them floating to the top and you will loose the visual effect when you turn out the jelly. This does also give you the opportunity to mix things up a little and do different coloured layers if you wished as well.
Return the jelly to the fridge to finally set where it will happily sit for 36 hours or so.
When you want to serve, dip the mould briefly into hot water to loosen the jelly and then turn out onto a plate. Lovely serve the traditional way with icecream or a dollop of crème fraiche and a garnish of fresh edible flowers. If you don’t have a traditional jelly mould it is nice to use a ring mould or bundt tin which offered the opportunity to fill the central cavity with fresh flowers, fruit or both. Or serve directly into wine glasses so that you can see the layers and petals through the glass and you don’t have the drama of having to turn it out and hoping that it has set.
* Make sure that the petals used are both organic and edible. Do not use petals from supermarket or garden centre flowers or bought from florists as they are sprayed with a cocktail of preservatives, herbicides and insecticides which are not fit for human consumption.
Petal and Prosecco Jelly.
