Pohutukawa Flower Syrup and Spice

This December we set out to spend time with the magnificence of the Pohutukawa trees in flower throughout Hawke's Bay. Along the way we discovered that the stamens of the blooms can be used to make a delightful cordial. There is very little reference to the flower being used by Maori, however, there are two contemporary foragers that have been sharing about their use of these special blossoms on social media so I went ahead to see just what all the fuss was about.  

Once you start taking notice it is amazing just how many variations of the colour red Pohutukawas bloom in. We found these trees out at Waipatiki beach in the week before Christmas.

I adore that these tenacious native trees are known as the New Zealand Christmas tree.

There's a bit of an art to gathering the stamens as they don't just nicely fall in to your hand, unless they are ready to drop. Picking the whole flower head isn't much use as they are still quite difficult to remove even when dry. So, like many foraging practises the best idea is to slow down, be patient & grateful & take your time.

The stamens dry very quickly & have a lovely berry fruity fragrance.

Pohutukawa stamens with Kawakawa fruit

To make Pohutukawa cordial simply bring a cup of water & a cup of sugar to the boil & then stir to dissolve the sugar. Add 1 tsp citric acid & 1 1/2 cups of the stamens. Make sure that you've removed any of the hard green bits first. Cover & leave to infuse all day or overnight. Strain & bottle. 

This is the best post I have found so far about making this cordial over at Kailash Herbs.

You can reduce the sugar content of the cordial but it won't keep as well & the balance will be different. Same with the citric acid- it helps to acidify what would otherwise be a very sweet syrup. Lemon would swamp the delicate flavour of the Pohutukawa flowers.

Increase quantities according to what you have & how much cordial you'd like to make. The above amounts make just enough for a 500ml bottle. White cane sugar or raw sugar both work fine.

We think that the cordial tastes much like strawberry jam. It is lovely mixed in to fizzy water.

The dried stamens can also be ground in a spice grinder until very fine & then put through a fine sieve to produce a deep red delicious "spice". The desert below is a mixture of whipped cream, thick natural yogurt, honey & a large teaspoon of Pohutukawa spice. The strawberries are marinated in a little maple syrup and the green stuff is finely ground pistachio nuts.

The same mix can also be frozen to make a very nice semifreddo. Just remove from the freezer and allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.

I learnt about making Pohutukawa spice from this post here at Finders Eaters Foraging.

The sauce in the above desert I made by simmering a few wild cherries for 20 minutes in a little water, (Prunus padus var padus) that we discovered out at Sacred Hill, & then adding a little honey.

Such a rich delicious flavour.

For Christmas I made a Spanish Cream using this recipe & adding a large teaspoon of Pohutukawa spice. I would leave out the vanilla next time as it overwhelmed the fruity flavour of the flowers. 

Charming served in pretty teacups.

Delicious served with roasted strawberries. When the strawberries are cooked but still have a little liquid left I mixed in a little honey & some Pohutukawa spice. The wafer was some Speculaas that Dutch friends gave us- perfect combination!

Katie x

Lightly Spiced Apple Mousse

This particular apple mousse was inspired by a foodie conversation with a friend last week. The old fashioned recipe called Apple Snow came to mind at the time of our chat and then I also recalled the Ballarat apples I had sitting at home waiting for a purpose. Apple Snow is a dessert made with cooked apples and beaten egg whites and it's a tad bland so I used the concept and then just made it more delicious. Ballarat's are brilliant cooking apples- they turn to mushed apple in no time at all- perfect for this mousse.

Any suitable cooking apple will do.

I began by peeling, coring & chopping two large apples, adding just a sprinkle of water, popping on the lid & simmering the apples for 10 minutes or so (watching to see that they don't catch on the bottom as they cook) until they have broken down & have become apple sauce.

Add a tbsp of honey.

Leave to cool.

In a small pot or glass jug soak a large tsp of powdered gelatine in a 1/4 of water for a few minutes.

Heat gently on the stove or for 20 seconds in the microwave. Stir to dissolve.

Add to the apple and stir.

Beat 2 large egg whites until very stiff and smooth and meringue-like.

Beat 125 mis of cream with a tbsp of honey and 1/2 tsp of cinnamon until soft peaks have formed.
Fold the apple, egg whites and cream together gently.

 Pour in to small cups, or bowls, or one large one.
Chill. The flavours improve over time. One of those recipes that's even better the next day.

 Caramelised walnuts go well with the apple and cinnamon flavours too.
Stir a little brown sugar, butter and some walnuts in a nonstick pan for around 5 minutes until fragrantly golden. Tip out on to baking paper and spread out to cool.

Katie X