Blossom Bliss

   When I walk out onto my back deck and the wind is in the right direction I can detect the wonderful, warm, sweet smell of wild plum blossoms. It is my very favorite springtime smell. This spring the mushroom season has been wierdly slow and patchy so I'm doing a lot of blossom harvesting! Some make their way into what is supposed to be jelly but is turning out as delicious syrup (I'll get it right eventually, but that's another post!), some will be dried and used for medicine or flavoring later in the year, and some become a cosmetic springtime indulgence for me! I love to extract the scent from the flowers and use it to rinse my hair. Depending on the flower the scent can last a few days!
   
      It's really really easy to do and is in fact the first step in the jelly making process as well.

First, find some delicious smelling blossoms. Wild plums tend to grow in huge patches so the risk of overharvesting is minimal, but do remember that the first spring pollinators utilize these to survive. 

Fill a glass jar thusly. Make sure you have a lid that fits tightly. There are violets in this one but those don't add much of a scent (this batch was for syrup/jelly). You can pack it as tightly as you wish, but I don't squish too many in as the scent you extract is really quite potent without overdoing it. 

Next (blogger fail! no picture...) pour boiling or nearly boiling water over your blossoms in their jar. Go ahead and fill the jar up. Put the lid on and give it a  good shake then let it steep overnight.

The next day, put some cheesecloth over your jar and strain out the liquid, and that's it! Use your blossom tea to refresh your face or infuse your hair with the delicious smells of spring.

There are many harvestable items out right now! This basket has violets, plum blossoms, dandelions, and fiddle heads in it. Go out and explore! Spring is a great time for getting to know what will be growing in your area this summer.