Cherry Blossom Kohakotou (Japanese Crystal Candy)

Ingredients

1/2 cup water
red food coloring, see notes
1 teaspoon agar powder
1 cup granulated sugar, see notes
20 salt preserved cherry blossoms

Instructions

Take about 20 small cherry blossoms and soak them in a bowl of lukewarm water. Gently swish them around with your hand in the water to help get all of the salt off. Let them soak for about 20-30 minutes.
Remove them from the water on to a dish towel or paper towel. Gently pat them dry. Cut off any long stems. Set aside.
Mix the water and the food coloring. I use a water based food coloring. I like to use less then 1 drop because I find that 1 drop makes it too pink. If you want the same color as mine, I put one drop in 1/4 cup of water. I then add half of that amount (2 tablespoons) to a measuring cup. I then fill up the measuring cup with water to reach 1/2 cup. Beet juice can be used for a natural option but you will have to play around with the amounts.
In a small pot add the water and agar. Whisk and let it sit for 10 minutes.
Bring the pot to a simmer on medium heat. Once it starts to bubble add the sugar and whisk. Bring the mixture back up to a bubble. Cook for 2 minutes. It should be bubbling and frothy.
Take the pot off the heat. Once the bubbles settle (about 1-2 minutes) quickly skim off any foam/bubbles. If it's left in the mixture it will dry white.
Pour the mixture into a square 5.5" heat proof container. Submerge the cherry blossoms into the mixture. Make sure to place them how you will want to cut the candy.
Place into the fridge until set, about 1.5-2 hours.
Once they're set, use a butter knife to go around the edges to loosen the mixture. It will be quite sticky but you should be able to peel it out in one piece. Place it on a piece of parchment paper. Cut into 20 pieces. Place the candies on a new piece of parchment paper, spacing them about 2cm apart. Let them sit at room temperature. In 1-2 days they will have a light crust. The longer they sit the dryer the crust will become which means the crunchier it will be. I like to leave mine out for 4-5 days. You can cover them with a piece of parchment paper to protect from dust. They're very sensitive to heat and humidity. If it's very humid they may not dry at all. Once they're dried store them in a sealed container at room temperature. They can last for 1-2 weeks. Enjoy!

Notes

*I use white sugar. Any granulated sugar should work but it may affect the colour and flavour.

*I use a water based food colouring. For a natural version you can use beet juice but will have to experiment with the amounts.

*The yield depends on the size they're cut. I used a square 5.5" glass container and made 20 small candies.

*The time does not include the drying time as it depends on humidity and how crunchy you like them. I like to dry them for 5 days.

Nutrition