Angelica – Angelica archangelica

Angelica is also known as the Holy Ghost plant. It is a robust biennial or short-lived perennial plant and can grow to 6 feet in damp woodlands. It produces large leaves followed by tall hollow stems bearing heads of greenish white flowers in mid summer.

Uses: All parts promote perspiration, stimulate appetite and are used to treat ailments of the chest and digestion. The young leaves and shouts are used to flavor wines and liqueurs, while the stout stems are candied and used to decorate cake. Fresh or preserved roots have been added to snuff and used by Laplanders and North American Indians as tobacco.

Candied Angelica Stems
Cut the shoots into strips about 6″ long and 1/2″ wide, and remove untidy bits. Blanch them (i.e. bring them to the boil and throw away the water). Put them back in the pan after you have cleaned them boil until they are bright green and tender ( a few minutes will do). Drain them and put them in a pan sprinkling with sugar between all layers. Cover them tightly and let them sit for 2-3 days.  Slide contents of the bowl into a heavy-based pan. Bring very slowly to the boil and simmer until the angelica feels perfectly tender and looks clear. Drain, then roll or toss the shoots on greaseproof paper thickly strewn with sugar, letting the angelica take up as much sugar as will stick to it. Then dry off the angelica – without letting it become hard – in the oven, using the lowest possible temperature. I place the stalks directly on the oven shelves (with trays underneath to catch any falling sugar) and find they need about 3 hours. Wrap and store after cooling completely. Packed into pretty little boxes, home-candied angelica makes a charming present. Use 1  pound of sugar for one pound of Angelica

They can be used for decoration, in fruit salad, in ice cream and so on.

The syrup can be used for sweetening such things, and adds a strong angelica taste. I recommend angelica ice cream, made with the chopped stems, syrup and Chartreuse (an angelica-based liqueur).

The young leaves and stems are also naturally sweet, and can be used in stewed fruits or other puddings, or used in potpourris.