How to Make Candied Lemon Balm Leaves (And Other Herbs and Flowers)
Crystallized, sugared, or candied lemon balm— whatever you call them they taste delicious! If you’re in the mood to make a sweet little treat and you just happen to have some fresh lemon balm leaves, you should try making these cute little bad boys! This method also works for a wide variety of edible leaves and flowers. Check out the list at the end of this post.
As a kid I remember coming across a recipe for candied violet flowers and thought it was the dumbest thing in the world. I mean, seriously?? It’s so time-consuming!
Well my sense of time must have shifted, because these truly do not take that much hands on time, plus the end result is pretty cute.
All right, let’s get to it!
Candied Lemon Balm Leaves
Ingredients
Egg white from one egg
1 teaspoon water (or vodka—see below)
Fresh lemon balm (stems removed, washed and dried)
Superfine granulated sugar (or make your own)
Directions
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Lay out a second piece of parchment paper on the counter.
If you have superfine sugar no prep is needed. If you don’t, simply take regular granulated sugar and pulse it for a few seconds in your blender or magic bullet. Wallah! Superfine sugar. It’s magic—just don’t pulse too long or it will turn into powdered sugar. Pour it into a bowl and set aside.
Take your egg white and whisk it with the water or vodka in a small bowl until it starts getting frothy. This just helps break up the egg white so it’s easier to apply to the leaves. I started using vodka after reading an article on making these—the reasoning is that the alcohol also helps break up the egg white but it evaporates quicker than water so your drying time should be less. Don’t worry—all the alcohol will evaporate in the drying process.
Dip each lemon balm leaf in the egg white mixture so it coats both sides. Then gently, with two fingers, scrape off the excess egg white. Lay them on the parchment paper that is on the counter. Repeat until you’ve covered each leaf in the egg white. Some recipes say to apply the egg white with a paintbrush, but I prefer this method. Do what works for you!
Work quickly, or in small batches, so the egg white doesn’t start to harden before coating in the sugar.
Now take each leaf and sprinkle both sides with the sugar. I find it quickest and cleanest to hold each leaf in one hand, and sprinkle both sides with the other. Originally I tried dredging the leaf through the egg white but it made the sugar all goopy and there was way too much sugar on each leaf. Gently lay them on the parchment paper that’s on the cookie sheet.
—> Time to let them dry
Once all the leaves are coated you can let them harden a couple different ways.
Air dry) Simply let them air dry for about 24 hours or until completely dry. This method does work, but it’s not my favorite because I’m impatient. However, the upside is that there is no chance of burning them.
Oven) You can also try lightly baking them by popping them in the oven. Bake them at 150° F for about 15 minutes. If they are not dry yet, keep baking them but check every few minutes so they don’t burn. Honestly, I have not had much luck with this method even though many others have. So try it if you wish!
Dehydrator) My favorite method!! It’s fast, easy, and it’s been super consistent for me. Place the leaves in the dehydrator on the parchment paper. I turned my dehydrator to about 100°F. And it takes them about 1-2 hours to dry out. More or less depending on how thick you coated them, how many leaves and flowers in the batch, etc.
Once thoroughly dried store in an airtight container.
Things to note
Quality definitely matters! Many of my leaves have turned brown because I used some older ones—the fresher, younger leaves are best that have no blemishes on them.
I’m told these can last for up to a year in an airtight container. I have not a clue in the world if this is true, because I eat them all long before that!
Let’s be honest—I don’t really wash and dry them. If they came from a place (like my garden) that I know hasn’t been sprayed with anything nasty, I just brush off any dirt and call it good. But if it makes you feel better, go ahead and wash and dry them.
As for what you do with these things—eat them! Or use them as garnishes on things such as cupcakes, cakes, cookies, etc. Such a fun little decoration.
Other leaves and flowers to use
Lemon balm is just the start! This process works for any edible leaves or flowers you think would be tasty. Just be absolutely sure you know that the plants you are harvesting are the correct and edible ones! Here’s a few ideas to get you started:
Mint leaves
Basil leaves
Sage leaves
Violet flowers
Rose petals
Rosemary sprigs
Lilac flowers
Thyme sprigs
Pansy flowers
Nasturtium flowers
Chamomile flowers
Bachelor Button flowers
Fireweed flowers
Peony petals
WHERE TO PURCHASE
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