Candied Angelica

    Home made candied angelica is well worth the time and effort it takes to prepare as it is so much better than the commercially prepared product. Angelica is very easy to grow and once growing will self seed itself in years to come. It requires a sunny position, but does not require any special soil, but needs to be well drained. Pick the stems for candying when the are large, usually in April or May and immediately drop them into the brine solution to preserve their color. The leaves can be used to flavor cooked fresh fruits and have a sweetening effect on tart fruits such as rhubarb and quince.

    In a large bowl, stir the salt into 2.3 litres ( 4 pints ) of water to dissolve, add the angelica and leave for 10 minutes.
    Drain the angelica and rinse under cold running water. Place in a saucepan with some cold water and bring to the boil. Boil for 5 minutes, until quite tender. Drain, reserving the water, and transfer the angelica to a wire basket that will fit into the saucepan. When the angelica is cool, scrape the outer skin from each stem. Place 175g/6 oz of sugar in the pan with 300 ml/10 fl oz of the reserved cooking water and heat gently until all the sugar is dissolved. Raise the heat and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat. Lower the angelica into the saucepan, cover, and leave for 1 day in a cool place.
    Lift the wire basket out of the saucepan and measure the syrup. For every 300ml/10fl oz of syrup add 50g/2oz of sugar. Return the syrup to the saucepan  and gently heat until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and lower the angelica into the saucepan. Cover and leave for a further day. Repeat the process another 5 times until the syrup is the consistency of thin honey, then boil the angelica for 2-3 minutes after the last 50g/2oz of sugar has been dissolved. Cover and leave for 2 days.
    Lift the angelica from the syrup ( reserve the syrup - it can be used to sweeten fruit dishes ) and place it on a wire rack covered with tin foil. Leave to dry in a warm, dry place ( or the oven, set to its lowest setting with the door propped open with a wooden spoon ). Store in an airtight, glass container, between layers of wax paper.