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Antique Apple Blossoms

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– raw, vegan, gluten-free, nut-free –

I have wanted to do this “apple art” for at least a year now. I am not sure why it took me so long getting around to it.  I lost track of how many times I bought the apples… and how many times, I ate all those apples. Lol  Fresh, crisp, juicy apples are a weakness for me… but better that than Twinkies or some other packaged “treat” right?!

These apple blossoms are so easy to make.  My goal in making these was to create antique-looking blossoms, so I purposely skipped the process of dunking them in lemon water, which would have helped to preserve their color. Another step that is vital is in the timing of the dry time.  I only dried these for 2 hours which was perfect.  They weren’t too soft, nor were they too hard.  Just right.  So make sure that you have enough time in your schedule to stay home and to remove them at the 2-hour marker.

When selecting apples, keep the coloring in mind.  I found that red apples were the best. I used Fuji and Pink Lady (which are more on the pink side).  Apples that are more on the yellow were pretty too but slight rubyness from the red ones really defined the edges of each petal. You also want apples that are fresh, and crisp.  Mushy apples are mealy in texture and won’t hold up well.

Ok, I talked about the importance of the dry time, and in selecting the right apple, the last thing that I wanted to cover quickly is the cutting technique.  I highly recommend that you use a mandolin to create thin and even slices.  If the slices are too thick, they will snap and if the slices are too thin… they will snap.  I ate a lot of broken apple slices. Hehe,   I used one that is similar to (this) one. Mine doesn’t have the thickness adjustment but makes almost see-through thin slices. Before slicing up all your apples, test a few slices, and see how they roll.

The quantity of the apples listed below is just a guideline.  You might need more or less, depending on what you plan on doing with them.  I hope you found this helpful and that it fills you with inspiration.  Please comment below and have a blessed day, amie sue

Ingredients:

Preparation:

Slicing the apples:

  1. Wash and dry the apples.  Leave the skins on.
  2. With a mandoline, create very thin slices.
  3. If they are too thick, they will snap when you try to roll them.
  4. It is a good idea to make a few slices and then test their flexibility before slicing all the apples and finding out later that they are too thick.

Creating the blossoms:

  1. I used a mini muffin pan to hold my apple blossoms in.
  2. Start by laying out about 10-15 slices, laying the slices out horizontally, skin side facing down, overlapping the previous apple by half to three-quarters (see photos below).
  3. Slide a knife down the center of the apples, creating two rows.
  4. On the first row,  begin rolling tightly from one end toward the other, using one hand to roll and the other to support, continue to roll the apple flower onto the second roll, just as you did the first time around.  The pictures below will help to make better sense of this.
  5. You will find that you use just about all your fingers to help hold everything in place.
  6. Place the apple flower into the muffin tin and then gently tug the petals to the sides, causing the slices to pull apart as though the flower is blooming.
  7. Repeat until you have made all the blossoms that you desire.
  8. Slide the whole pan into the dehydrator and dry at 115 degrees (F) for 2 hours or longer.  They will still have some moisture in them.

 

46 thoughts on “Antique Apple Blossoms

  1. Ely says:

    Splendid, Ami Sue, you are a real great artist full of wise ideas. Thanks for sharing

  2. Alison says:

    I love these. They are so pretty. I can’t wait to try these.

  3. Nancy says:

    Hi Amie Sue,
    What an easy and absolutely beautiful garnish! Or dessert… yum. Thank you once again!

  4. Lesl says:

    What a beautiful idea. I’m a caterer and I’m definitely going to do this for garnishes for some of my platters. Thank you for sharing this!

  5. Hya says:

    I wish you were my mum so that I could enjoy all the yummies that you make and watch you do all this!!
    Great inspiration.
    Thank you for all your sharing!!
    <3

  6. Jennifer says:

    These look too beautiful to eat! However, what do you think of putting some cinnamon on them before drying? Thanks for all your lovely recipes. They are such an inspiration! :)

    • amie-sue says:

      I really don’t see a need too, but you could if you wanted to! :) Thank you for your sweet comment. Many blessings, amie sue

  7. Maureen says:

    Just GORGEOUS!!! There should be a museum dedicated to your food art! Thank you for sharing such detailed step-by-step instructions and beautiful pictures, and making it so easy to follow along. You’re amazing!

    • amie-sue says:

      Your just the sweetest as they come Maureen. Do you think they would give me a section in the Smithsonian Art Museum? lol (just kidding). Thanks for the compliment. hugs, amie sue

  8. Linda St Angelo says:

    Amie Sue,

    You absolutely never cease to amaze me each and every time. These are too pretty to eat. I would just display them and tell people that they can let their mouth water as they admire them….. ha ha

    • amie-sue says:

      hehe Thanks Linda… I agree, these are almost too pretty to eat but since we HAVE to (lol) at least they taste equally as good. Have a glorious day, amie sue

  9. bjrn says:

    Ohhh yes – what a great idea! Thank you!!

  10. Gayle says:

    These are absolutely beautiful. Definitely will be making them for my Christmas tea. Perfect!

    • amie-sue says:

      They will be gorgeous! Have a wonderful weekend, amie sue

      • Gayle says:

        Everyone was wowed by your Apple roses! Now they want me to show them how to do them at January’s raw food potluck. I don’t think mine turned out nearly as nicely as yours. I will do it anyhow but make it viewer participation.

  11. Lenka says:

    Wow – these are amazing!!! Awesome idea Amie!! :) Thank you for sharing and have a nice day!

  12. Kveta says:

    Vase vytvory jsou prekrasne a urcite i tak dobre myslim,ze potesite moliony lidi.Kveta

    • amie-sue says:

      Google translation: “Your creations are beautiful and certainly as good cheer, cheering moliony lidi.Kveta”

      Thank you Kveta, I appreciate your kind words. Have a glorious weekend, amie sue

  13. Milan says:

    Amazing, thanks for sharing your ideas.

  14. farmerjohn says:

    Awesome

  15. WitchDoctorLA says:

    These are gorgeous! What do you recommend to pair with them for a dessert or savory dish perhaps?

    • amie-sue says:

      Thank you so much. They are gorgeous, I agree. :) The would pair wonderfully with cheesecakes, ice creams, and unsavory dishes as you suggested. Main them the main event or a garnish for a salad… the possibilities are endless! Oh… pair with some of the raw cheeses too. Have a glorious day, amie sue

      • Maureen says:

        You’re back?!! Hooray!!! You were missed!

        • amie-sue says:

          Good morning Maureen,

          I have missed you too! I am sort of back. I am not fully integrating back in, but I wanted to start working my way through the hundreds of questions, comments and emails regarding the recipes. :) I hope to one day share all that I have and still am going through. Right now, I can’t even find the words to condense it down.

          I hope that you are doing well my friend. Love and hugs, amie sue

  16. Lianne says:

    My gosh! That’s amazing so beautiful what a clever idea! :-)

  17. […] del mondo qui una piccola composizione di mele-roselline. L’idea e la ricetta le ho prese qui dal sito Nouveau Raw di Annie Sue che ringrazio tantissimo per la sua bellissima […]

  18. itsme says:

    Wouldthat work if we removed the skin?
    No organic apples..
    Thanks.

    • amie-sue says:

      Hello Itsme,

      Yes, it would work but it would look different. The red edges give it that beautiful antique look. Try it out on one apple and see if you like how it looks. Blessings, amie sue

  19. Veronica says:

    Good morning Amie Sue,

    Oh, so beautiful they are! And look so easy to make too. I will definitely give them a try and put them on top of the date butter tarts.

    I just had an idea, why not use a mini muffin tin and make miniature versions! :)

    Thanks for your great recipes and ideas, as always!

    Hugs,
    Veronica

    • amie-sue says:

      Absolutely Veronica. You can make this any size… larger, smaller, be creative! I like to do this recipe mashups just for inspiration. :) Have a blessed weekend, amie sue

  20. constance says:

    I need to make these a couple weeks ahead of using them. How can I store them?
    great stuff as always

    • amie-sue says:

      Good morning Constance,

      I have frozen them before when great success. After they are done drying, make sure that they fully cool off. Then just put them in an airtight container (single layer) and pop them in the freezer. I hope this helps, blessings. amie sue :)

      • constance says:

        well you know me always in a rush didn’t know what to do so I just dried them completely and they are gorgeous for decorating this was although not that appetizing LOL I will use these to dress a plate and make fresh to do the cake topping. thankyou for your reply and I will definitely try the freezing these are really attractive and are going to be a lot of fun to play with

  21. LindaAlbert says:

    Dear Amid Sue,
    Do you slice the apples horizontally or vertically? What about the core area? Do you cut it away? Are there Apple varieties that are better than others for these?
    Glad you had a good experience with your grandmother and got to spend her last days with her with so much love.
    Linda Albert

    • amie-sue says:

      Hello Linda,

      I slice the apples vertically and continue to slice down to the core and then stop. Any variety will work, just make sure they are fresh and crisp. Mealy apples fall apart.

      I was so thankful to spend the time I got with my grandmother. I feel so blessed! To this day, when I think back to it, I miss her, but I also feel full of love and thankfulness. blessings, amie sue : )

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