Pelargoniums: An Herb Society of America Guide

Recipes

Scented Geranium Sugar

Scented sugars can easily be made the same way that the Europeans have been making vanilla sugar for years. Placing a vanilla bean, or a handful of herb leaves and/or flowers, in a pint jar of sugar transforms the sugar into a pleasing, fragrant addition to cakes, cookies, custards, whipping cream, and all sorts of sweets. If you do a lot of baking, make this in larger quantities—say a quart or half-gallon jar—you will find that you use it often.

Some favorite herbs for making scented sugars are: lemon balm, lemon verbena, orange or peppermint, and of course, scented geraniums—especially 'Rober's Lemon Rose,' 'Attar of Roses,' and 'Old Fashioned Rose.' Edible flower choices are lavender, lilac, rose, violets, and anise hyssop.

About 2 cups sugar
1 handful of herb leaves and/or flowers

To prepare scented sugar, use a clean pint jar with a tight-fitting lid. Fill the jar about one-quarter full with sugar, place a few herb leaves and/or flowers in the sugar. Cover with sugar so that the jar is half full; add a few more herbs and add sugar until the jar is three-quarters full; add a few more leaves; cover with sugar to fill the jar, leaving about ½ inch headspace. Shake the jar and place on a shelf in a cool, dark place.

The sugar will be ready to use in 2 to 3 weeks and will become more flavorful with age. As the sugar is consumed, add more plain sugar to take its place and it will take on the fragrance in the jar.

Since herbs contain moisture, the sugar will absorb some of it and perhaps cake together, or even harden. If this happens, just use firm pressure to crumble it with your hands, or the back of a wooden spoon.

Next recipe: Scented Geranium Syrup

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