How to Press + Dry Flowers and Cannabis Leaves
Save to use florals year-round
Type of Flowers to Press
Pressed and dried edible flowers like pansies, violas, nasturtiums, cornflowers, dianthus, and cannabis fan leaves can be harvested and dried when the flowers are in season, and stored to use at a later date.Â
Thick flowers like zinnias, dahlias, and roses don't press flat very well. Drying their petals in a dehydrator rather than flattening the entire flower is a better technique for saving thick flowers.Â
How to Keep Cannabis Leaves Fresh
Delicate cannabis fan leaves are trimmed during the plant's growing season to allow light to shine through to encourage healthy flower growth. But don't toss those leaves, eat them! Cannabis leaves can be stored fresh in a sealed container between damp sheets of paper towels in the fridge for ~30 days. Leaves with stems can be placed in a cup of water in the fridge and will stay fresh for 2-3 weeks.Â
How to Press Cannabis Leaves
Place the clean, dry flowers or cannabis leaves between two sheets of parchment paper.
Place the parchment paper between pages of a large heavy book, like a cookbook.Â
Close the book and place a heavy object on top of it to keep the book flat.Â
Leave untouched pressed between the book to dry for 3-4 weeks.Â
When fully dry, gently lift the flowers from the parchment paper and store flat in a sealed container with a small food safe desiccant packet. Keep dry, cool, and out of direct sunlight until ready to use.Â
Buying edible flowers at the store was too limiting and expensive, so I started growing my own organic edible flowers and pressed them use in my signature Botanical Bandit Shortbread Bar Cookies. By drying and pressing flowers I’m able to use beautiful, fragrant florals as decorations on cakes, desserts, and more. year-round.
XOXO, Christina W.
