Osmanthus Apricot Drink With Konjac Jelly Strips

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Osmanthus Apricot Drink With Konjac Jelly Strips

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If you like the smell of osmanthus - the sweetly perfumed flower, you will like this drink.

Not many people are familiar with osmanthus which is a shame. There isn't very much going for it in terms of taste. It's all in the scent, very much like that of jasmine. I think it is just a matter of time before someone enterprising decides to bottle it up into a food essence or a perfume. Some might find it overpoweringly perfumed but it does grow on you. Like the jasmine flower, a little goes a long way.

Read up more about the osmanthus flower by scrolling down to my 'Tips' section. I have a photograph of my current favourite cookie, Osmanthus and Jasmine Flavoured Cookie there too.

OSMANTHUS AND APRICOT DRINK WITH KONJAC JELLY STRIPS

Prep:	10 minutes
Cook:	10 minutes
Inactive:	2 hours or more for jelly to firm and chill completely.
Level:	Easy
Makes:	~ 1/2 gallon (~2 litres)
Oven Temperature:	-
Can recipe be doubled?	Yes
Make ahead?	Osmanthus Apricot Drink keeps well refrigerated for 1 week well bottled.  May also be frozen into blocks. Jelly can be made a day before serving.

Just the ingredients The jelly 1 packet konjac/konnyaku jelly powder 1 cup (200g) sugar To substitute 1 bag of ready made peach flavoured konjac/konnyaku jelly Everything else 5 cups (1.2 litres) water 4 Tablespoons dried osmanthus flowers 3/4 cup (150g) sugar   1 bottle (~ 0.89 quart) (~0.85 litre) apricot/peach/pear nectar or enough to match the volume of osmanthus tea you have brewed Bubble tea straws to suck up the jelly

Ready made individually packed, peach flavoured konjac/konnyaku jelly.

Ingredients

The jelly

1 packet konnyaku jelly powder

Konnyaku is made from seaweed and is also known as konjac. When the jelly has set, the texture is firmer than gelatine based jellies and it has a nice 'bouncy' bite to it. Purchase at Asian grocery stores and most supermarkets. 

A little sachet of malic acid is often included. Many fruit and vegetables contain malic acid. The tartness of a green apple? That's the malic acid. Choose to use it or not. It will add a tartness to the jelly. If you have not use it before and would like to try, use half the sachet to begin with. Taste and adjust accordingly.

200g sugar

To substitute

1 bag of ready made peach flavoured konjac jelly

Available at most supermarkets and Asian grocery stores. The brand that I use, featured above is made in Taiwan and there are 12 small tubs of jelly in the bag. This is convenient as not only do you not have to cook the jelly, the fact that it is individually packaged into single size portions means you simply pop out a jelly, sliced it into pieces (to a size that is small enough to suck up a straw) directly into your glass and top it with the Osmanthus Apricot Drink. Easy, easy.

Everything else

5 cups (1.2 litres) water

4 Tablespoons dried osmanthus flowers

May be purchased from Traditional Chinese Medicine stores, some tea shops and some Asian grocery stores. It is available online. Scroll down to 'Tips' for other ways to use osmanthus flowers and a bit of information on this very floral smelling flower.

3/4 cup (150g) sugar  

1 bottle (~ 0.89 quart) (~0.85 litre) apricot nectar or enough to match the volume of osmanthus tea you have brewed
Replace with peach or pear nectar. A fruit that is more floral would be more suitable. Apple, for instance, would be too tart.

Bubble tea straws to suck up the jelly

Method

The konjac jelly

Follow the directions on the packet.

The package instructions suggest the addition of 1/4 teaspoon essence and 1 drop of food colouring. I don't see the need for colouring. As for essence, osmanthus and peach are already a lovely flavour combination. I add konjac jelly pretty much for the textural contrast and that little pep of acidity from the malic acid.

When the jelly has set and is sufficiently chilled. Cut the jelly into strips, diced finely or easier still, grate through a large-holed grater. Return to the refrigerator and store covered until you are ready to use it.

Everything else

Boil the water in a pot. As soon as it comes to a boil, add the osmanthus. Cover the pot and turn off the burner. Let the tea steep for 20 minutes.

Strain the osmanthus tea. Discard the solids. 

Add the sugar and stir to dissolve. Let the liquid cool.

Once cooled, add the peach nectar. Transfer into sterilised bottles and refrigerate or freeze.

Putting the drink together

Add as much jelly as you like into the bottom of the serving glasses. Top up 3/4 of the way up with the Osmanthus Apricot Drink. Stir and taste. Adjust to your liking. Top up with ice. Insert bubble tea straw and slurp away.

Tips

What do you do with the rest of the dried osmanthus flowers?

• I so like the smell of osmanthus, I developed a cookie recipe with osmanthus in it - a lovely crisp, floral tasting cookie, Osmanthus & Jasmine Flavoured Cookies. Everyone who has tried it, likes it.

• Store leftover osmanthus sealed in the refrigerator. It keeps well.
• Make yourself some osmanthus tea. One teaspoon per cup.
• Mix the osmanthus flowers with a tea of your choice to add a floral brew to your cup. 
• If you google 'osmanthus jelly recipe', there are recipes (all similar) for that jelly.  It is an easy jelly recipe and it taste even more perfumed than my cookies. Some might find it overpowering whilst others just cannot get enough of it.

What are osmanthus flowers?

It comes from a flowering plant/shrub bearing tiny cream coloured flowers. 

What do you know? There is an osmanthus shrub in my neighbourhood!

It is more often than not used in its dried form as fresh osmanthus flowers are highly perishable. When dried, they are a lovely golden yellow. Most of the dried osmanthus sold in shops are from China. It is appreciated for its distinctive floral aroma. It is most often used in sweet dishes but it can apparently be used in savoury dishes as well. Osmanthus wine is enjoyed in China. It must taste lovely.

I buy my osmanthus from a Traditional Chinese Medicine store that carefully sources what they put on their shelves. They cost more but I pay the price for the assurance of quality.
WHAT'S COMING UP NEXT?                                                 

Happy Holidays!

It's time to take a break from writing and start preparing year-end festive dinners, lunch, tea and cocktails for the expected larger number of family and friends who will be coming through my doors before the year is over. 

Lots of preparation and work involved but I have things pretty much organised. My Christmas tree is all dressed up and as you can see, the dog approves. 

The rest of the house still needs some kind of adornment but the mango tree has been attended to and it has been strung up with meteor shower rain lights. It is so pretty. They look like shooting stars. 

I completed my gift purchasing and wrapping in record time... 3 days. Yet, I believe I have done a better job this year with matching the gift to the person. 

I hope you have a slew of wonderful meals to look forward to and wouldn't it be even more wonderful if most of them were home cooked food prepared by someone else!

I wish you happy holidays and stay safe.