Black Locust Flowers
Fluffy & juicy blooms with a corny flavor.
Black Locust Popcorn
Get snack’d with a bowl of popcorn and fried-up flowers. Black locust blossoms have a flavor reminiscent of sweet corn, and this recipe batters and coats the blooms in sugar. They’re kinda like mini floral funnel cakes tossed into a bowl of salty, buttery popcorn.
What Do Black Locust Flowers Like?
Black Locust flowers have a rounded floral flavor with a touch of sweetness and nuttiness. They come from the bean plant family (Fabaceae), so you may detect a hint of something leguminous when tasting them (think edamame or fava). To my palate, there is a distinct and obvious similarity to sweet corn. And I’m not alone - many recipe writers and chefs also pair these blooms with corn and corn products. I find the tumbly texture of the blossoms rather romantic on a plate, and the fresh flowers have a slightly juicy bite. While they certainly have their place in salads and savory apps, these flowers shine in sweet dishes. Pair them with vanilla, pistachios, dried fruits, or sweet corn. They also make an excellent textural addition to a cheese board (picnic, anyone?).
Alan Bergo has a recipe for Black Locust Flower Salad, which is a riff on Sam Thayer’s infamous preparation using 1/3 sauteed in coconut oil, 1/3 gently wilted, 1/3 fresh, and tossed with sweet corn. If you want to start with the basics, Casa de Folklore has a convenient article with the three most common preparations: Jam, Fritters, and Syrup. For visual learners, I like this video from Haphazard Homestead for Deep Fried Black Locust Flowers (or you can do an easier sweet recipe with these Black Locust Blossom Crepes). I haven’t tried it yet, but this Chilled Black Locust Flower Soup is souper exciting to me.
I always thought it’d be fun to do a 50/50 popcorn and fried black locust situation. I was right, it was fun! I have, however, broken one of my cardinal rules of recipe making, which is that the effort you put into the preparation needs an equal or greater payoff on the plate. The preparation for this week’s recipe is, to me, a little too fussy for a snack. But hopefully, it’ll inspire additional corny explorations for you. Here are a few other ways I’ve used black locust flowers:
Baguette with honey butter, toasted pistachios, and black locust blossoms.
Black locust blossom cold foam iced latte
Sweet breakfast polenta with black locust flowers
Find the Flavor
Find Black Locust Flowers
✓ Forage for yourself all over North America
✓ Fresh from Forest Fox Wild
✓ Dried black locust flowers from NestLady
Find Other Black Locust Products
✓ Black Locust Vinegar from Lindera Farms
✓ Black Locust Honey from Black Barn Apiary
✓ Black Locust Honey from ENC Honey
Black Locust References & Resources
Native American Ethnobotany Database
The Foraged Foodie’s Black Locust Article
Forager Chef’s Black Locust Article
Feral Foraging Black Locust YouTube Video
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The popcorn sounds good!!! How does it taste