Dried flowers Cornflower blue flowers 30 g

Dried Blue Cornflower Blossoms: Nature's Touch for Culinary Delights and Beyond

Discover the vibrant beauty and versatile benefits of our Dried Blue Cornflower Blossoms, proudly sourced from Ukraine. These 100% natural, dried blue flowers, also known as Centaurea cyanus, are celebrated for their vivid color and delicate properties. With a rich history of use in both traditional remedies and modern culinary arts, cornflower blossoms are a truly unique addition to your pantry and cosmetic formulations.

Description and Key Features

Our Dried Blue Cornflower Blossoms are meticulously harvested and dried to preserve their stunning deep blue hue and subtle, herbaceous aroma. These small, intricate petals offer a delicate texture and are a fantastic way to add a pop of natural color to a variety of creations.

Synonyms for cornflower include: voloshka, synki, blavat, rzhevoy tsvet, sinetsvetka, vasilchik, perepolokh, zvonnaya trava, bobylnik, blavatka, loskutnitsa, sinovnitsa, sinyukha, rzhanaya loskutnitsa, sinyushnik.

Key features:

• 100% Natural Quality: Sourced directly from Ukraine, ensuring purity and freedom from artificial colors or additives.
• Vibrant Blue Color: Provides a striking visual appeal to any application, from culinary dishes to cosmetic products.
• Delicate Flavor Profile: Offers a very subtle, slightly sweet, and earthy flavor that does not overpower other ingredients, making it ideal for delicate recipes.
• Versatile Form: Presented as dried whole flowers, allowing for easy integration into various preparations.

Versatile Applications and Usage Areas

Dried Blue Cornflower Blossoms are incredibly versatile, finding their place in a myriad of applications, with a particular emphasis on culinary uses, where their aesthetic appeal and subtle flavor truly shine.

Primary Focus: Culinary Applications

• Tea Blends: Cornflower blossoms are a classic addition to herbal tea blends. They impart a beautiful blue color to infusions and offer a mild, calming note. Blend them with black tea, green tea, chamomile, or peppermint for unique and visually appealing hot or iced beverages.
• Salads: Sprinkle dried cornflower petals over fresh green salads, fruit salads, or grain bowls to add an exquisite pop of blue color and a touch of elegance. Their delicate texture makes them an excellent garnish.
• Baked Goods & Desserts: Incorporate into baked goods like shortbread cookies, cupcakes, or bread for a visual flourish. They can be mixed into icings, glazes, or used as a decorative topping. For desserts, sprinkle over panna cotta, custards, or fruit tarts to enhance their visual appeal.
• Cocktails & Beverages: Garnish cocktails, mocktails, lemonades, or sparkling waters with a few petals for a sophisticated and artistic presentation. They can also be infused into simple syrups to create colorful drink mixers.
• Infused Oils & Vinegars: Gently infuse cornflower blossoms into culinary oils (like olive oil) or vinegars to add a subtle herbaceous note and beautiful color. These infused liquids can then be used in dressings or marinades.
• Decorative Garnishes: Use as a stunning garnish for appetizers, cheese boards, charcuterie boards, or any dish that could benefit from a touch of natural color and elegance.
• Rice & Pasta Dishes: Stir a few petals into rice or pasta dishes towards the end of cooking for a vibrant color contrast. They are especially effective in lighter-colored dishes where their blue stands out.

Other Notable Applications:

• Herbal Remedies & Traditional Medicine: Historically, cornflower has been used in folk medicine for its purported anti-inflammatory and diuretic properties, often prepared as teas or decoctions.
• Ubtans & Scrubs: The petals can be ground and added to traditional Indian ubtans (cleansing powders) or homemade body/face scrubs for gentle exfoliation and aesthetic appeal.
• Handmade Soap: Incorporate into handmade soaps as a natural colorant or for visual texture. The blue petals maintain some of their color in soap, creating beautiful designs.
• Hair Cosmetics: Infuse in water or oils to create hair rinses or scalp treatments believed to promote hair health and add shine.
• General Cosmetic Products: Can be added to various homemade cosmetic formulations for their aesthetic appeal and potential soothing properties.
• Beauty Salons & SPAs: Used as a decorative element in bath soaks, foot soaks, or as part of natural skincare treatments to enhance the client experience.

Cosmetic Recipe: "Blue Bloom" Gentle Facial Steam & Toner

Create a soothing and visually appealing facial steam, followed by a gentle toner, using dried blue cornflower blossoms. This recipe is designed to calm and refresh the skin.

Instructions for Preparation:

Part 1: Facial Steam

1. Preparation: Place 2 tablespoons of Dried Blue Cornflower Blossoms in a large, heatproof bowl.
2. Add Hot Water: Carefully pour 4 cups of hot (just boiled) distilled water over the blossoms.
3. Steam: Create a "tent" over your head and the bowl with a towel. Lean over the bowl at a comfortable distance, allowing the steam to envelop your face for 5-10 minutes. Breathe deeply and enjoy the calming aroma.

Part 2: Cornflower Toner

1. Infusion: Place 1 tablespoon of Dried Blue Cornflower Blossoms in a clean, heatproof jar or beaker. Pour 100 ml of boiling distilled water over them.
2. Steep: Cover the jar and let the blossoms steep for 20-30 minutes, or until the liquid has cooled completely. The water should take on a light blue hue.
3. Strain: Strain the infusion through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth to remove all plant material. Discard the spent blossoms.
4. Combine Ingredients: Measure the strained cornflower infusion. In a separate clean beaker, combine the cornflower infusion with the witch hazel distillate and vegetable glycerin. Stir gently to combine.
5. Add Preservative: Add the liquid preservative (2% of the total liquid volume) to the mixture. Stir well for at least 1-2 minutes to ensure even distribution.
6. Bottle: Transfer the finished toner into a clean, sanitized spray bottle.

Recommendations for Application and Use:

• Facial Steam: Use the facial steam 1-2 times per week to open pores, deep clean, and relax your skin.
• Toner Application: After steaming, or as part of your daily routine, lightly mist the "Blue Bloom" toner onto a clean face. Gently pat into the skin. Can be used morning and night.
• Storage of Toner: Due to its natural ingredients and water base, the toner must be stored in the refrigerator and used within 2-3 weeks, even with a preservative, for optimal freshness and efficacy. For longer shelf life, ensure proper preservation and sterile handling.
• Patch Test: Always perform a patch test on a small area of skin before full application, especially if you have sensitive skin or are new to an ingredient.
• External Use Only: This recipe is for external cosmetic use only. Do not ingest the toner.
• Customization: Feel free to add 1-2 drops of a skin-friendly essential oil (e.g., lavender or chamomile) to the toner for added aromatic benefits, ensuring it's properly dispersed if not water-soluble.