Pickled Cherry Blossoms and Onigiri

This recipe is a wild take on a traditional Japanese favourite; it takes a few days, but results in a deliciously sweet and tangy flower which can be used in a variety of different ways.

Cherry blossoms are known around the world for their beauty, but perhaps nowhere more so than in Japan where they are seen as the heralds of Springs, and celebrations are held in their honour. Each Spring the Cherry blossom flowers, or Sakura, are used in a variety of different dishes, treats and drinks which are enjoyed during the Sakura season. While all cherry blossoms are edible, it is the blossoms of ornamental trees, which produce no fruits, which are predominantly used in Japan, of which there are said to be over 200 varieties! In the UK, our native Cherry trees are the Wild Cherry (Prunus avium), and their blossoms are small and delicate,with white petals. It is not uncommon to see the Japanese ornamental varieties planted in parks and green spaces, and their large bright pink to white blossoms make them very easy to spot. Their blossoms are fleeting, and almost as soon as they appear, their petals begin to fall, so the opportunity to enjoy them as a wild food is very small, but this only adds to their beauty.

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We are very lucky to have quite a few ornamental Cherry trees quite close by, and I marvel at their beauty every Spring. The blossoms of this variety (Prunus Kanzan) are a deep pink, and they have many petals, making them easy to handle and very decorative. For this particular recipe, the blossoms should be gathered before the petals have begun to open, they are then salted, pickled and dried over the course of a week, and once they have completely dried out, they will last for a few months in storage.

Traditionally the Cherry blossoms are pickled using umezu (not umeshu which is a different liquid altogether!), a by-product from making Japanese pickled plums (umeboshi), which can be a little tricky to track down here in the UK. It can be substituted for rice wine vinegar if you have trouble finding it, but your pickled Cherry blossoms will have a very different flavour. Umezu is naturally very salty and tangy, so if you would prefer your finished Cherry blossoms to be less salty, then you can opt to use the rice vinegar instead, and you could even try adding sugar for a sweet version.

They can be used in a variety of different dishes, but given their origins, lend themselves best to Japanese cuisine. I made mine with the intention of using them to flavour onigiri - a Japanese snack made from steamed rice which is then shaped into triangles or balls - so I will be sharing the recipe for those as well. They are commonly used to flavour rice, add decorative touches to a dish, flavour cakes and treats such as mochi, and they are even used for a special type of tea called Sakuracha.

The whole process of gathering, salting, pickling and drying can take about a week, but if you enjoy flavours from Japan, or are perhaps looking for something new from your wild food, they are worth taking the time to make. The Cherry blossom season lasts for around two weeks around the end of April, and the opportunity to make pickled Cherry blossoms lasts for just a few years, so they are a beautiful reminder of how fleeting the seasons, nature and life can be, so it seems fitting that the process can't be rushed.

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Pickled Cherry Blossoms

30 Unopened Cherry Blossom buds, from ornamental varieties

Fine Sea Salt

150ml Umezu or Rice Wine Vinegar

1. If needed, gently wash your cherry blossom buds to remove any dirt, dust or plant debris, and pat them dry. Make sure they are completely dry before moving onto the next step.

2. In a glass container sprinkle a layer of salt, and then add a layer of blossom buds, and salt lightly again. Continue this pattern until you have salted all of your blossoms.

3. Seal the jar with a lid and leave the salted buds in the fridge for about three days. You can give the jar a gentle shake every day just to make sure the salt is evenly distributed.

4. After the third day, remove from the fridge and rinse the salt from the blossoms. Return the buds to the jar and completely cover with the umezu or rice vinegar. It's a good idea to use a plastic lid here if you can just to minimise the chances of rust. Place the jar back in the fridge and leave for another three days.

5. After the third day, drain the blossoms, but keep the umezu for future use. You can pop it back in the bottle and place it in the fridge.

6. Very gently reform the blossoms using your finger tips, making sure the petals are all lying flat. If you have a dehydrator, place them on one of the racks and set to try for a couple of hours, or alternatively lay them out somewhere cool and dry to dry out for a day ot two. The blossoms should not be so dry that they become brittle, but dry enough to preserve them.

   
   
   
   

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How To Use Your Pickled Cherry Blossoms

I specifically wanted to make these blossoms so I could add them to onigiri rice balls, so I thought I would share these extra steps incase you would like to have a try as well. Onigiri are a very popular snack in Japan, and in their most simple form they are made from seasoned short grain rice, and shaped into triangles.

The rice can be shaped either by cupping both of your hands together to form the triangle shape, or a special mould can be used. I recently bought a mould and wanted to test it out, so I opted to use it this time round, but if you're using your hands, the trick is to make sure your hands are always wet to avoid the rice sticking!

Cherry Blossoms Onigiri

Pickled Cherry Blossoms

3tbsp Umezu

1tbsp Granulated Sugar

1 cup Sushi Rice (approx. 200g)

2 cups of water (approx. 400ml)

Nori sheets (optional)

1. Add the rice to a pan and rinse the grains until the water runs clear. Drain as much of the water from the rice grains as you can. Add two cups of fresh water and bring the pan to the boil with the lid on.. Once the water is boiling, lower the heat and simmer for ten minutes. Turn off the heat, and leaving the lid on, allow the rice to sit for a further ten minutes.

2. In a small container, add umezu and the sugar together and stir until all of the sugar has dissolved. Pour the mixture over the rice and gently fold the rice to evenly distribute the mixture.

3. Finely chop the pickled cherry blossoms and distribute through the rice, being sure to keep a few whole blossoms aside to decorate the finished onigiri.

4. Allow the rice to cool slightly until it is comfortable to handle with your hands.

5. If you're using an onigiri mould, lightly fill the base with cooked rice and compress using the lid. Gently press out the rice and wrap a rectangle of nori around the base if using.

6. If you're using your hands to shape the rice, make sure they are damp before handling the rice as this will help to prevent it from sticking. Gather a small handful of rice and cup your hand slightly, use your other hand to rotate the rice and shape the edges. Wrap a rectangle of nori around the base if using

7. Add a pickled cherry blossom to decorate.