The Beautiful, Medicinal, and Edible Magnolia
1st picture: Beautiful Magnolia Blooms
2nd picture: basket of blooms and an extra found blessing...grape hyacinths :)
3rd picture: gorgeous deep pink color of pickled magnolia bloom
4th picture: finished recipe
5th recipe: homemade sushi with pickled magnolia petals...delicious!
Another beautiful flower that is in full bloom right now is Magnolias!
My daughter Mollie and her husband have 2 gorgeous magnolias in their yard…2 different species and both so glorious!
I was so delighted when she said I could have all the blossoms I wanted…a passionate flower lover’s dream!
Magnolias are such a gorgeous tree with their amazing large blooms that are sweetly scented…they are such a marvelous display of spring. Their magical floral fragrance is like no other I have ever experienced. I love the fragrance so much that I found a lovely Magnolia essential oil and wear it as a perfume.
When I was picking the magnolia blossoms this morning, I felt like I was in another world…in another dimension inside an enchanting world of magnolia blooms!
Magnolias symbolize dignity and nobility. In ancient China, they were thought to be the perfect symbols of female beauty, innocence, and gentleness. They are called the queen of the spring flowers because of their rich and gorgeous flowers in various colors.
Magnolias are in a large genus (family, species) of about 210 flowering plant species. Magnolias are in the Magnoliaceas family. Magnolias are named after the French botanist Pierre Magnol who was one of the scientists who discovered the flower and its families.
The flowers of the Magnolia tree are edible and can be prepared numerous ways…below I have a magnolia flower recipe for you to make :)
The bark and flowers of Magnolias have been used for many years in Traditional Chinese Medicine and are known as Xin yi hua. They help to support the lung and stomach meridians.
Magnolia bark and flowers have been used medicinally for many different health concerns, such as menstrual cramps, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, allergies, weight loss, to aid in liver health,
Another way Magnolia has been used medicinally is to aid in respiratory health. It has been used for bronchitis, coughs, excess phlegm, and asthma. In another study, it has also shown to have anti-viral properties. Another amazing plant that has these remarkable healing abilities! I have attached several links below showing these studies.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6143820/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28232195
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19764006
https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/7/9/2852
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14786410902906959?scroll=top&needAccess=true
The taste of magnolia flowers is slightly sweet, floral, spicy, and exquisite!
This recipe is exotic and exceptionally delicious. The taste reminds me of pickled ginger that you have with your sushi, but with an added floral note. I love the beautiful deep pink color that the magnolia blooms give the coconut vinegar…absolutely gorgeous!
I added in a handful of Forsythia blossoms into my recipe as well...if you have access to Forsythia, add them in too
Pickled Magnolia Blossoms Recipe
1 ¼ cup of Coconut Vinegar (may also use rice vinegar and raw apple cider vinegar- the lighter the vinegar, the deeper pink your liquid will be)
1 cup Lakanto Monk Fruit Sweetener
1 tsp salt (Himilayan, Celtic, or Real salt if possible)
Handful or 1 cup of Forsythia blossoms (if you have them)
Magnolia blossoms
Pick enough magnolia blossoms to fill a glass mason quart jar…packed down. Gently wash and dry petals.
Gently tear blossoms apart and massage petals with salt. Fill a clean glass mason quart jar with the massaged petals.
Bring to boil the vinegar and sugar and take off heat. Pour liquid into jar over the magnolia blossoms. Press blossoms down under the liquid. Let cool and then cover with lid. Refrigerate.
Use in salad, sandwiches, with sushi , right out of the jar, or anything your heart desires.
Bon Appetit!
