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    Home » Wild Herbs and Spices

    Candied Angelica Stems

    Published: Apr 15, 2016 Modified: Feb 9, 2023 by Alan Bergo This post may contain affiliate links 12 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Candied angelica stems are the most traditional angelica recipe I know of. The tender, aromatic stems are still sold in France at a high price. In this post I'll show you how to make your own from garden angelica or wild plants.

    candied wild angelica

    Have you ever cooked with angelica? Most people haven't, heck, most people haven't even heard of the stuff. It's available though, especially if you garden. More likely is that you've seen it sold via fancy French food companies.

    If you're a food nerd like me, the first thing you may have thought of is: how do I make a candied angelica recipe? It took me a while to figure it out, but it's pretty easy. Essentially it's the same multi-stage candying technique attributed to the French that you can use for candying plums to chestnuts, and just about anything else.

    candied angelica stems

    Just one decent sized angelica plant will give you enough stem to eat up a couple hours of your time preparing this, but after a single taste of the finished product, I never thought twice about dedicating some time to it.

    Candied Angelica
    Angelica leaves can also be candied, but they're no where near as good as the stems.

    At the Salt Cellar, I serve this by itself after a meal occasionally as it's a great conversation piece to speak with diners about, but the crystalline shards cut from the candied stem make a beautiful garnish too. My favorite is when I have a dessert that's fruit based and contains some soft component, like a mousse or buttercream for the shards and leaves to be stuck in so they stand on their own.

    Winter pavlova with meadowsweet ice cream, chokecherry sauce, wild blueberries, butternuts and angelica
    Winter pavlova with butternuts and angelica.

    If the stem wasn't cool enough, the leaves can also be candied.The flavor of the leaves is nothing as strong as the stem, but the signature flavor of angelica is still there, just slightly more vegetal. The leaves make a nice garnish stuck in a soft something, like  a cake, mousse, etc.

    Angelica stalks for candying Angelica stalks for candying
    Angelica staks, cut into 4 inch or so lengths for candying

    When do you harvest angelica stems for candying? 

    There are a couple ways you could candy angelica, but there is only one time of the year you can pick it to candy the stems: when they're young and tender.

    candied angelica stems

    Angelica gets really woody and firm as the plant begins it's reproductive cycle and makes it's flower stalk, so I generally try to get them a month or so after they've started to come out of the ground. Don't get me wrong, you want to pick stalks large enough to get a good yield, but they need to be tender after blanching and peeling.

    Proper storage is key

    Candying angelica can be a bit of a labor and time sink, especially you're first time, so you need to know how to store it properly. Kept outside refrigeration, angelica will slowly lose it's soul, and eventually, will taste like nothing at all.

    Kept cool in a dry, tightly-sealed container in the fridge, it will keep it's other-worldy perfume for months to come. I'll add, too that vacuum sealing and refrigerating candied stems is the most dependable way to keep angelica's aroma.

    candied wild angelica
    Print Recipe
    5 from 1 vote

    Candied Angelica Stems

    Traditionally candied angelica stems. Use them to garnish cakes and desserts, or eat as a snack.
    Prep Time30 minutes mins
    Cook Time3 days d
    Total Time3 days d 30 minutes mins
    Course: Appetizer, Dessert, Snack
    Cuisine: French
    Keyword: Angelica, Candied Angelica, Candying
    Servings: 20 Servings
    Calories: 4684kcal
    Author: Alan Bergo

    Equipment

    • 1 3 quart sauce pot
    • 1 Dehydrator

    Ingredients

    • 1 lb Thick, tender young angelica stems, leaves removed a fingers width is good
    • 4 cups water
    • 6 cups sugar plus extra for coating the stems

    Instructions

    • Cut the stems into 3-4 inch lengths, or whatever size you'd like depending on the container you will store them in.

    Optional: peel the stems

    • To peel the stems, which I recommend, bring the 4 cups of water to a boil, then add the stems and cook for a minute or two, working in batches if necessary. The blanching will loosen the tough skins. Peel the angelica with a paring knife. Meanwhile, add the sugar to the poaching liquid and allow to melt.
    • Bring the sugar-water mixture to a rolling boil, then add the angelica stems (you may have to add them a few at a time to make room) and cook for 3-4 minutes.
    • Remove the angelica to a bowl or other container.
    • Bring the syrup back to a rolling boil for a few minutes, then pour over the stems and allow to cool to room temperature, then chill, covered, for at least 12 hours.
    • The next day, drain the syrup, bring to a boil again, and pour over the stalks. Repeat the process one more time.
    • After the last time, remove the stems and blot dry.
    • Toss the stems with sugar (optional), then dry the stems in a dehydrator on the lowest temp setting, preferably with the door ajar, or leave them on a cooling rack at room temp until dried, but still slightly pliable.
    • When the stems are dried refrigerate until needed in a tightly sealed container. Vacuum sealed stems will keep the best texture.

    Notes

    You can save the leftover syrup for making drinks, or candying other things in the same way, adding a little extra water as needed. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1oz | Calories: 4684kcal | Carbohydrates: 100g | Protein: 3g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 20mg | Potassium: 300mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 200IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 75mg | Iron: 2mg
    Candied Angelica

    More 

    The Forager's Guide to Wild Angelica

    Angelica Crème Fraiche

    « Knotweed Sorbet
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Fred Lt.

      April 15, 2016 at 8:57 pm

      a scientific name would be useful!

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        April 21, 2016 at 7:57 am

        Angelica sylvestris.

        Reply
    2. stacey irons

      April 27, 2016 at 11:47 pm

      I am not familiar with this plant.I live in North middle Tennessee. Where would I find these leaves? What can substitute a dehydrater ?

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        April 28, 2016 at 8:45 am

        You can substitute running a fan over the leaves if they're held down by parchment paper. You would want to check wet areas for angelica, I find it around rivers and streams in low lying areas. It's easiest to find when it flowers, check my first post on angelica to see pictures of the plant.

        Reply
    3. Diana j

      June 26, 2017 at 4:42 pm

      We found a large patch of Angelica and I've been experimenting based on your recipes. Love it! A few questions on the candied Angelica... When you say remove the thin membrane from both sides do you mean the inside as one of the sides? Also, why cut it into 2 inch pieces for the first summer... And not leave it longer which would make removing the membrane easier. Thanks for your great ideas!!

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        November 27, 2017 at 9:22 am

        You make a great point. This method was the first recipe I wrote for angelica a number of years ago, I typed it up quick for my prep cooks so they had a template, I just needed something that would work. Part of the difficulty of not having any culinary resources for many of these plants is that there might be some more efficient ways to go about things, when I come across them, I change things. Thanks for your help, I've amended the method here.

        Reply
    4. Jennifer Cote

      June 07, 2019 at 6:11 pm

      What should the texture be when it's done? Hard? Will it snap when you break it into two? Should it be more soft, bendy and chewy? In between?

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        October 07, 2019 at 9:57 am

        Soft, bendy and chewy.

        Reply
    5. Jennifer

      June 10, 2019 at 11:18 am

      How is the texture supposed to be on the candied Stems? Hard and brittle or soft and chewy? Something in between?

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        June 11, 2019 at 2:23 pm

        Sorry I've been withpout service for a bit, the texture should be slightly chewy, not brittle.

        Reply
    6. Dan F

      May 30, 2023 at 4:34 pm

      Apparently I was a week or two too late to get the tender stems. I've been in the process of candying some (on my final soak in the syrup today) but alas, these are inedibly tough. But OMG how tasty!

      The syrup from this is GOLD! I took a little bit last night and made an impromptu "ice cream" (just mixed with some whipping cream and froze it, stirring occasionally to whip a little air into it). That was delicious but wondering what else the syrup can be used for. Can I turn it into a hard candy, perhaps?

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        May 30, 2023 at 7:13 pm

        Did you peel them? Also, if you’re on the boiling stage that means you haven’t completed the recipe. Cut them into pieces when they’re dried but still pliable to eat or use in baking. You won’t be eating them like a stick of licorice.

        Reply

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    Chef Alan Bergo

    HI, I'm Alan: James Beard Award-winning Chef, Author, Show Host and Forager. I've been writing about cooking wild food here for over a decade. Let me show you why foraging is the most delicious thing you'll ever do.

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