flavoring sugar

[Bicycle Lee]

Does anyone have knowledge of how to flavor sugars? Can you dry things like veggies and powder them and then blend into caster sugar?

[Gifted Gourmet]

Aside from the common vanilla sugar, which Alton Brown makes in this manner:

If vanilla bean is whole, slice down side of bean with back of knife and scrape seeds into airtight container with the sugar. Bury bean in sugar and seal tightly with lid. Let sit for 1 to 2 weeks. Use as regular, granulated sugar

I have made a lemon sugar (using the zest and burying it in sugar in an airtight container) and have also made a rose petal sugar, done in a similar fashion.

superb resource for scented sugars

Martha Stewart's versions

[FaustianBargain]

Does anyone have knowledge of how to flavor sugars? Can you dry things like veggies and powder them and then blend into caster sugar?

veggie flavoured sugar? what an interesting idea..

after using cardamom, i usually drop the empty pods into the sugar jar...for lavender sugar, i leave the dried lavender sugar in the sugar for a few weeks and then powder it ...to be sifted later...i vaguely recall ginger flavoured sugar...no idea how that goes..you can use pretty much any dried spice for flavouring sugars..i think..anyways, ..i am not sure veggie flavoured sugars are as exciting as spice flavoured sugars..

[Mottmott]

When I make candied peel I roll the peel in the sugar, then save the leftover sugar for flavoring. My DIL loves it in tea.

[Gifted Gourmet]

When I make candied peel I roll the peel in the sugar, then save the leftover sugar for flavoring. My DIL loves it in tea.

Speaking of tea, iced tea that is, how about a cooling mint sugar in ice tea or chilled lemonade to beat the summer heat?

[jgarner53]

Speaking of tea, iced tea that is, how about a cooling mint sugar in ice tea

Better yet, why not make a mint-flavored sugar syrup, since sugar doesn't dissolve so easily in cold iced tea? You could do a lemon one as well. Decant into a squeeze bottle, and away you go!

[nightscotsman]

In Vancouver at Diva at the Met we had lovely and refreshing dessert (actually one of several dessert courses) by Thomas Haas of fresh pineapple "carpacio" with cilantro sugar. The combination was perfect. I assume he made the sugar by grinding it with well dried fresh cilantro in a food processor.

[Wendy DeBord]

I've added powdered flavors to xxxsugar before. A. Uster sells several flavors of dried fruit powder. But that isn't so cheap...and I used alot to get a clearer flavor. Same with using them in meringues-takes alot.

For my sweet shortbreads I cusinart peel in with my sugar and love how it turns out (lemon & orange and then proceed as usual). You could do that with just about anything..........unless you want it colorless? If it's too moist you could let it dry out and re-grind it.

I'd prefer to use fresh instead of dried herbs, etc.... you can dry out your 'infused' sugars.

I gotta ask-what are you dreaming of for your finished product? Something cool?

[Bicycle Lee]

I just put some very fragrant rose petals in with some regular granulated sugar...For my real experiments I will buy some caster sugar, but for now I'm just playing around. How long do you think I should leave them in the sugar? I know that flower petals can smell pretty bad once they are on the turn...

[Gifted Gourmet]

I just put some very fragrant rose petals in with some regular granulated sugar...For my real experiments I will buy some caster sugar, but for now I'm just playing around. How long do you think I should leave them in the sugar? I know that flower petals can smell pretty bad once they are on the turn...

rose petal sugar apparently one week is fine for this ...

[Bicycle Lee]

thanks...I didn't pound them together, but I have been shaking the jar rather vigorously and I did pack it in pretty tight, so I figure the petals will impart a nice flavor.

[ducphat30]

I know this kind of delves into other topics, but the Just Tomato company has a whole line of dried fruits and vegetables that work well when pulverized and incorporated with sugar. On another thread there was mention of a corn "crocquant". Their dried corn mixed with sugar and used to top a corn creme brulee is incredible. The other applications I have used are crushing the dried strawberries to flavor a shortcake for strawberry shortcake. The applications are endless once you get into totally dehydrated (crunchy) fruits and vegetables. The peas with sugar and wasabi then heated in the oven to melt the sugar and make a tuile works well with seared tuna. I appologize for going off into the savory side. It is a lot of fun to experiment with whats available.

[Eden]

I just made a couple batches of lemon & orange sugars. They taste divine, but I have two quick questions since I haven't done this before.

1) Do I need to store them in the fridge? (My instincts say yes because I used fresh zest))

2) how long will they keep?

[nightscotsman]

No need to keep them in the fridge - the sugar acts as a preservative. They should keep indefinately, but try to keep them dry.

[duckduck]

Thomas Haas does put sugar and fresh herbs in the food processor and buzzes them. When he did the pineapple in the class I was in, he used fresh mint and it was wonderful. He suggests playing with all kinds of herbs but says to use them within 20 minutes. He says to do them in small batches and use it fresh since the flavor disapates as it sets. Wasn't it Mario Batali that used a fresh chili buzzed with sugar on Iron Chef? I believe he did it with sugar and with salt and someone commented that it was much better with the sugar.