To Candy All Kinds Of Flowers In Ways Like The Spanish Candy

This recipe, attributed to 'M. W.' and found in the manuscript V.b.316, dates from circa 1700 to 1850—a period when English households keenly embraced fashionable European candies and delicate confections, especially those inspired by Spanish and broader Mediterranean traditions. This style of 'candying' flowers was a luxurious activity, signaling both status and a cultivated palate in the 18th and early 19th centuries. Sugar and exotic ingredients like rose water, musk, and even edible gold were prestigious imports, and using them with elegant flowers for display and consumption was a sign of refinement and wealth. Recipes like this were often written by female householders or stewards in private manuscript books, as part of both medicinal and culinary knowledge.

Historically, this recipe would have been prepared using a brass or copper posnet (a small, handled saucepan) set over a gentle fire or coal embers to carefully control the heat. A mortar and pestle would be used for grinding the musk and mashing the apple pulp. Flowers would be gently picked and cleaned by hand. Once cooked, the mixture would be poured onto a fine pewter or silver plate or a smooth stone slab, and then cut into pieces using an everyday kitchen knife. Application of gold would have been done with fine tweezers or fingers.