Fryed House

One of the first signs of Spring in our area are the cotton candy pink blooms of the Oklahoma Redbud Tree, or the “Eastern Rebud”, which also happens to be our State Tree. While its striking lavender-pink blossoms are enough to appreciate, they’re also known to attract beneficial insects and the tree itself is adaptable to all soil conditions and can even be used for medicinal purposes.

Traditionally, the bark was made into a tea to treat whooping cough and taking cold infusions of the roots and inner bark was known to treat fevers and congestion. Apparently, the seed pods can be eaten as well, but we’ve yet to test that out. Even so, very few people seem to know where the true beauty lies in this plant, and that’s within those budding blossoms.

Redbud flowers are known to have some of the highest concentrations of Vitamin C of any plant in the Eastern Woodlands. They impart a slightly sweet, slightly tart flavor that’s refreshing and easy to eat or drink as a tea. Last year we learned to pick them while the buds were closed, after which we pickled them and ate them as capers. We were pleasantly surprised to find that we liked the vinegar even more. In fact, it’s still the best salad dressing we’ve ever created.

Which brings us to the purpose of this post – our secret Redbud Vinegar Recipe!

The recipe and method are super simple. Redbud flowers, apple cider vinegar, and a few fresh herbs if you choose. We generally use thyme, rosemary, and oregano from our garden but you’re free to experiment with whatever you can find. You can find the recipe to our favorite salad dressing at the end of our Redbud Vinegar Recipe!

REDBUD VINEGAR RECIPE

INGREDIENTS:
– 1 to 2 cups Redbud Flowers
– 1 to 2 cups Apple Cider Vinegar
– 1 to 2 sprigs each of a variety of Fresh Herbs
– A clean jar with a lid
– Plastic wrap or wax paper

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. After gathering your redbud flowers, spread them out on a plate and gently move them around to allow any bug friends to escape. Then, pick off any woody stem bits that might be left at the end of the clusters and dispose of them.

2. Use a colander to rinse your redbuds thoroughly, shake off excess water, then add to the clean jar. Add your sprigs of herbs (after washing them of course), then fill with apple cider vinegar until it covers all of the blossoms and herbs.

3. Apple cider vinegar can corrode the metal lid of your jar so we recommend covering the top with a sheet of plastic wrap or wax paper before sealing. For the next week, you’ll want to turn your jar over once a day to make sure that the blossoms stay in the vinegar.

4. After the blossoms have lost their color and the vinegar is a deep red, about a week or so into pickling, strain the vinegar into a clean glass bottle or jar and store in the pantry or refrigerator.

NOTES: The pickled flowers won’t look very pretty but they’re still incredibly tasty and can be added to salads, soups, potato dishes, and other fresh meals for extra flavor. The flowers themselves should be consumed within a few days of straining, and the vinegar will keep for up to 6 weeks. However, we recommend using it sooner rather than later.

For a delicious salad dressing, combine 2 tablespoons (or more) of your redbud vinegar, 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons of honey, 1/2 teaspoon of Dijon mustard, and 1/8 teaspoon of sea salt in a jar, cover and shake well. ENJOY!

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