Candied Flowers - Hibiscus

Rather than throw away the hibiscus flowers that I had brewed into hibiscus tea, I saved them and let them do double duty as candy - hooray for less food waste*.  Candied hibiscus flowers are sweet and super crunchy and I could totally see an alternate universe where popcorn was weird and candied hibiscus flowers were the normal snack to munch on while watching a movie.


How to Make Candied Hibiscus Flowers

Hibiscus flower prior to candying.

• Fresh edible hibiscus flowers (not hibiscus from the florist that could have pesticides all over it) or dried hibiscus flowers that have been steeped to make hibiscus tea 
• Enough egg white to coat the flowers (about 1 egg white for every 2 C of flowers)
• Enough sugar to coat the flowers (about 1/2 C for every 2 C of flowers)

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Brush flowers with a thin layer of egg white (You can dunk the flowers instead of brushing if you find that to be easier.)
3. Place the sugar in a small bowl and gently roll the flowers in the sugar.
4. Spread the flowers on the parchment paper.  The flowers can be really close together - just make sure that they aren't touching.
5. Bake at the lowest temperature your oven can be set at (mine is 170 F) for about 7 hours or until crispy.
6. Store in an airtight container.

Full Disclosure

Although the macro photos of the candied hibiscus flowers make them look gorgeous, I thought that I should share this photo as well:

I think this looks like bugs
pinned to a board in a lab.

*I've been saying "Hooray" for everything after reading How Does a Seed Grow over and over again to Myles.  I'd highly recommend that book for anyone with a little kid interested in knowing where food comes from or a really little kid who likes seeing smiling faces and hearing the word "Hooray"!