Anybody here made this before?
My friend David Hughes, of Rock Bridge Trees, was telling me about it last week. Says it has powerful ‘floral’ notes… Duh. It’s made from redbud flowers!
I’ve been watching the redbud (Cercis canadensis) trees in the yard/orchard as they progress in bloom. Most are showing good color, but I’ve only just today seen one with a branch with flowers open.
Thought some of y’all might be interested in trying your hand at it. Here’s a recipe I found online:
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I was thinking I might give it a try, but I suspect the Seattle area trees are mostly the western species, and that recipe says this:
There is a western redbud tree found in California and southern Utah that also produces pink edible flowers. While it’s possible to make jelly out of these buds, they have a different flavor—more like peas or legumes—and don’t work quite as well.
@swincher Almost all the intentionally planted redbud trees around Seattle are the eastern species, not the western species.
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Is there any easy way to distinguish them? I do see in the Falling Fruit app that there are plenty of them planted as street trees in this area, and yes looks like you’re right that it’s mostly eastern ones. A handful of western ones listed too, so I may go look at those and see if I can spot differences.
Cercis canadensis has pointed leaves I think while those of C. occidentalis are blunt. The western redbud is usually more shrubby and less tree-like as well.
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Well, if the above link is to be trusted then you can tell by tasting them. lol.
I’ve honestly never seen the western species in person. The only species I’ve seen at nurseries is the eastern species; primarily in the form of grafted, named clones.
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I agree with this and I’ll add the leaves are smaller and more delicate looking and insanely popular with leaf cutting bees. I never realized I had leaf cutters until I got a Western redbud. Some areas may have the Oklahoma variety redbud instead of the true Eastern redbud as well as city trees- just FYI
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Personally, I find all redbud flowers taste like peas or pea greens, but they do have a little floral note at the end.
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we make Redbud jelly every year its AMAZING! tastes just like strawberry jam. We love it
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