Spring is here in New Zealand.
Until about last week, cherry blossoms around Auckland were in full bloom. So beautiful!
But when cherry blossom flowers finish and trees start to learn green…. you might wan to go back to cherry blossom tree again.
Because if you want to make edible pickled cherry leaves, now is your chance….
Cherry blossom season in Auckland, New Zealand
Auckland has a warmer temperature on average compared to southern part of New Zealand.
In Auckland, cherry blossoms were fully blooming between the end of September and early October in year 2017.
Comparing to cherry blossom blooming season in Japan, which is end March to early April, this is almost exactly 6-month different.
Cherry blossom trees are found in many parks or public places (like university garden or churches).
You also see many houses with a young cherry blossom tree; they seem to be a popular garden tree now in New Zealand.
Most of them have pale pink flowers; they are likely Somei-yoshino, or yedonesis type of cherry.
I do see other kinds of cherry trees out there too.
These appear to be yedonesis.
Once blooming ends…. Time to make salt-preserved leaves!
Once cherry blossom flowers start to fall… a lot of fresh green leaves start to cover cherry trees.
They are so beautiful and soft that they look almost edible….
But did you know that they ARE actually edible?
Japanese people make salt-pickled cherry leaves that can be used to decorate traditional Japanese sweets, sakura-mochi, or cherry-rice cake sweets.
This is a picture of Sakura-mochi. The leaf wrapped around pink mochi is the salt-preserved cherry leaf.
Typically to make these salt-preserved cherry leaves are made from fresh leaves that has just come out in early summer.
So if you want to try making salt-preserved cherry leaves, after cherry blossom flowers ended is the best time to pickup some leaves.
Cherry variety: Speciosa VS Yedonesis
In Japan, the best type of cherry leaves that are used are Cerasus speciosa.
Speciosa cherry variety typically have white flowers, and leaves start to come out almost at the same time as flowers.
Leaves of speciosa are more suitable for eating as they are softer and richer in fragrance than yedonesis.
Leaves from speciosa cherry have smooth back.
Speciosa cherry flowers (Ohshima-sakura)
In contrast, yedonesis cherry tree blooms first, and leaves only start to come out once flowers are almost finished.
Leaves of yedonesis have fine hair on their back (pale) side.
Yedonesis leaves are not suitable for making salt-preserved cherry leaves for eating, because they are very tough and have less fragrance.
But if you do not mind that, you can always try making salt-preserved yedonesis leaves anyway; they will add some oriental look to your sweets.
Yedonesis cherry flowers (Somoei-yoshino)
There are also another type of cherry tree, Prunus lannesiana, that blossoms flower with strong pink, double layer of petals.
These flowers typically flowers later than yedonesis or speciosa.
Their leaves are also usable for edible salt-preserved cherry leaves. But more importantly, flowers of Prunus lannesiana are used in Japan to make salt-preserved cherry flowers.
Salt-preserved cherry flowers are used in many traditional Japanese sweets, or cherry tea, to add fragrance of cherry or for their pretty appearance.
If you have Prunus lannesiana cherry blossoms in your garden, I would be tempted to make salt-preserved flowers as well.
Prunus lannesiana cherry flower (Yae-zakura)
Speciosa for salt-preserved cherry leaves
So if you are picking leaves for making salt-preserved cherry leaves, the cherry blossom to look or is white flower tree, with a lots of leaves already growing (while flower still remains).
We went to our local cherry tree that fit this description, and decided to pick 20 or so leaves to try making salt-preserved leaves.
White flowers are still blooming but so many leaves are growing at the same time.
20 beautiful leaves with both sides smooth.
Making salt-preserved cherry leaves
I straight away started preparation once we got home from picking cherry leaves. Fresher the best!
Making salt-preserved, pickled cherry leaves involves following steps;
1. Boil leaves for a short time, or pour boiling water over leaves
2. Cool leaves quickly in icy water
3. Pat-dry leaves to remove excess water
4. Put plenty of salt all over leaves and gently press, for two weeks
Sounds easy enough!
So first, I washed the cherry leaves we got, then I boiled leaves about 10 seconds each in boiling water (currently also boiling cabbage).
I did this one leaf by one leaf.
After boiling for 10 seconds, place them in icy water.
Stack them nicely and pat dry to remove excess water.
Cover both sides of leaf stack with plenty of salts.
Bagged them, and placed it under a heavy block of cheese in the fridge to apply some pressure.
It takes at least two weeks, accordingly.
After a year, they typically have turned brown, just like these cherry leaves wrapped around Japanese Sakura mochi.
It is probably easier and safer to keep them in the fridge while marinating in salt.
When you are ready to use them, it is a better practice to put leaves go through boiling water (like 10 seconds) before using them to wrap Japanese sweets. This will remove excess salts and extra safe for eating.
So hopefully in a few weeks or months time, my salt-preserved cherry leaves will be ready to be used for Japanese style sweets!
I will also be keen to make salt-preserved cherry flowers next year so I better look for local sources of suitable flowering cherry tree.
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