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Uncommon Confections

Green Walnut Preserves

Lily

Here is an old-fashioned recipe for green walnut preserves, perfect for those seeking a challenge who have ample time on their hands.

The first step involves removing the green shell of the unripe walnuts, a task that requires gloves to avoid staining the skin with iodine, which is very hard to remove.

Next, the fruit is placed into a bowl with cold water and lemon, where it sits overnight. Continue replacing the water until the greenish hue is gone. This process will help the preserves stay golden, resembling honey, and prevent them from darkening.

On the following day, the green walnuts are repeatedly blanched and washed, and then soaked in a bowl of cold water with lemon slices until the syrup, boiled separately, thickens.

The fruit is then strained, added to the syrup, along with lemon juice to taste, and cooked until the syrup thickens back to a soft drop consistency.

When the confection is finished, it's left to rest for twenty minutes, and then poured hot in sterilized jars and covered with a wet cloth overnight.

The jars are sealed and pasteurized in a double boiler the next day.

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Rose Petal Fondant

Foam Flowers

Making this sweet treat is both laborious and exacting; boil it for one second too long and it will turn harder than cement.

The first step is to prepare the rose petals by washing and rubbing them with lemon juice to soften them and enhance their color.

Then, they are covered with boiling water and allowed to sit for an hour to release their color and scent.

The strained rose infusion is simmered with sugar and vanilla until it thickens like syrup, then set aside to cool to lukewarm.

This is when the hard work begins. The syrup needs to be mixed in a blender until it turns light pink and creamy. If the confection gets too hard for the blender, it must be worked by hand and kneaded until its consistency turns slightly elastic.

After cooling, transfer to jars, seal tightly, and it will stay good for many years.

This treat is perfect for cooling down on hot summer days, served on a spoon in a glass of ice water.