Colored Queen Anne's Lace

Every year my girls try to pick some of the Queen Anne's Lace that is so prevalent in August. They set up little vases and jars full of colored water and make the flowers, which are usually white, a rainbow if pastels.

These plants are related to the carrot, and are edible, as my father has informed me since my youth. The juice of a crushed leaf or the hairy, wiry stem does have an unmistakable odor of carrot. And like its relative, the roots are edible, but are reportedly best when young, and should be cooked, not eaten raw. To date, I've never eaten them. I came across a recipe for Queen Anne's Lace Jelly recently, though. Maybe next year I can pull it off. For now, I will stick with rainbow bouquets!

Queen Anne's Lace Jelly

Ingredients

 2 cups fresh Queen Anne’s lace flowers
 4 cups water
 1/4 cup lemon juice
 1 package powdered pectin
 3 1/2 cups plus 2 tbsp. organic cane sugar

Instructions

1. Bring water to boil. Remove from heat and let cool 5 minutes.
2. Add flower heads and push them down into the water until fully covered. Cover.
3. Steep one half hour. Strain.
4. Measure 3 cups of the liquid into a pot.
5. Add lemon juice and pectin.
6. Stirring constantly, bring to a rolling boil.
7. Add sugar and stir constantly until mixture comes to a rolling boil then boil one minute longer.
8. Remove from heat. Skim.
9. Pour into sterilized jars leaving 1/4” head space.
10. Process in a hot water bath for 5 minutes.