Flowers

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-	==An Edible Flowers List==
-	There are actually many different kinds of flowers that can safely be eaten. Here is an edible flowers list, with some ideas on how the flowers taste, to get you started:
-	* Angelica: tastes like licorice
-	* Anise hyssop: anise or licorice flavor
-	* Apple blossoms: like apples
-	* Chive flowers: taste like chives
-	* Bee Balm: tastes somewhat like oregano or mint
-	* Borage: somewhat cucumber-like
-	* Carnation: sweet flavor, good for desserts
-	* Chamomile: somewhat like apples
-	* Chervil: anise
-	* Chrysanthemums: tangy, bitter
-	* Citrus blossoms: taste like the fruit
-	* Clover: sweet, somewhat anise
-	* Cornflower: usually spicy, somewhat like cloves
-	* Dandelion: sweet, honey-like
-	* Day Lily: somewhat sweet, reminiscent of vegetables
-	* Garden Sorrel: tart, lemony
-	* Gladiolas: lettuce-like, mild, but pretty as a serving vessel
-	* Hibiscus: tart, like cranberries
-	* Honeysuckle: sweet
-	* Hyacinth: nutty
-	* Jasmine: strong, good for use in tea
-	* Johnny Jump-Ups: mild, wintergreen
-	* Lavender: sweet, floral
-	* Lemon verbena: lemon
-	* Lilac: flowery, a little bitter
-	* Linden: similar to honeysuckle
-	* Marigold: usually peppery, can be somewhat bitter
-	* Nasturtium: peppery, good in salads
-	* Okra: nutty, somewhat like asparagus when cooked
-	* Pansy: mild, slightly sweet
-	* Pineapple Guava: sweet, melon-like
-	* Primrose: slightly sweet
-	* Queen Anne's Lace: light, like a carrot
-	* Rose: different varieties have different flavors, but mostly sweet; even if you do not want to eat them, consider using them to decorate cakes and pastries
-	* Squash blossoms: taste like the squash they would have grown into
-	* Sunflower: young flowers taste like artichokes, older flowers are bitter
-	* Sweet Woodruff: sweet, somewhat nutty
-	* Tulip: mild lettuce or cucumber flavor
	==Using Edible Flowers==		==Using Edible Flowers==

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Current revision as of 21:32, 7 September 2007

Contents 1 Safety Reminder 2 From The Garden To Kitchen 3 For Best Flavor 4 To Dry Edible Flowers 5 Perennials 6 Annuals 7 Using Edible Flowers 8 Warnings About Using Flowers 9 Cleaning Edible Flowers

Safety Reminder

Be careful not to pick flowers exposed to pesticides or those growing by the roadside. Also, be cautious if you have hay fever, asthma, or allergies.

From The Garden To Kitchen

Harvest flowers in the morning after the dew has evaporated. Choose flowers at their peak for best flavor. After picking, put long-stemmed flowers in water and keep in a cool place. Use short-stemmed blossoms within a few hours of harvest or store between layers of damp paper toweling or in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Just before using, gently wash flowers, checking thoroughly for insects and soil.

For Best Flavor

Remove the stamens and pistils from flowers. Also remove the sepals (except on pansies, violas, and Johnny-jump-ups, in which they add to the flavor)/

To Dry Edible Flowers

Some flowers dry well, while others lose their flavor during drying. Check by drying a few samples before drying a whole crop. Gather flowers in early morning before the sun shines on them. Hang upside down by the stems in a dark, well-ventilated area. (If picked separately, place on a fine screen.) Once dry, labels and store in an air-tight container in a cool, dark place.

Perennials

Common Name	Scientific name	Flavor	Color	Comments
Anise hyssop	Agastache foeniculum	Anise	Lilac	Self seeding
Bee balm	Monarda didyma	Minty, sweet, hot	Wide range
Chamomile	Chamaemelum noblis	Sweet apple	White	drink tea in moderation – contains thuaone; ragweed sufferers may be allergic to chamomile
Chicory	Cichorium intybus	Herbal	Blue
Chives	Allium schoeonoprasum	Onion	Lavender-pink	avoid eating whole flower; taste can be overwhelming
Dandelion	Taraxacum officinale	Sweet, honey-like	Yellow	use young flowers, mature flowers become bitter; flowers close after picking
Daylily	Hemerocallis spp.	Vegetal, sweet	Wide range	may act as a diuretic or laxative; eat in moderation
Dianthus	Dianthus spp.	Sweet clove flavor	Wide range	remove the narrow base of the petals (bitter)
Elderberry	Sambucus canadensis	Sweet	White	do not wash flowers since it removes much of the flavor
English daisy	Bellis perennis	Mildly bitter	Pink	ray flowers have a mildly bitter taste
Honeysuckle	Lonicera japonica	Sweet	White to pale yellow	do not use other honeysuckle flowers
Lavender	Lavendula spp.	Sweet, perfumed flavor	Lavender	use sparingly due to intense flavor; lavender oil may be poisonous
Lilac	Syringa vulgaris	Varies	Lavender	Wide variation in flavor -- from no flavor to green and herbaceous to lilac
Lovage	Levisticum officinale	Celery	White
Mint	Mentha spp.	Minty	Purple	each type of mint has its own unique flavor
Pineapple sage	Salvia elegans	Sweet, fruity	Red	flavor has a hint of mint and spice
Rose	Rosa spp.	Perfumed	Wide range	remove the white, bitter base of the petal
Rosemary	Rosmarinus officinalis	Herbal	Blue
Sage	Salvia officinalis	Herbal	Purple-blue
Scented geraniums	Pelargonium spp.	Varies	Wide range	the flavor is usually similar to the scent of the leaves
Thyme	Thymus spp.	Herbal	White	herb
Violet	Viola odorata	Sweet, perfumed	Purple, white	use candied or fresh

Annuals

Common Name	Scientific name	Flavor	Color	Comments
Arugula	Eruca vesicaria sativa	Spicy	White	once flowers form the leaves become bitter
Bachelor's button	Centaurea cyanus	Vegetal	White, pink, blue	petals are edible; the calyx is bitter
Basil	Ocimum basilicum	Herbal	White, lavender
Borage	Borago officinalis	Herbal	Blue	use with nasturtium; use sparingly -- diuretic effects
Broccoli	Brassica officinalis	Spicy	Green
Calendula	Calendula officinalis	Slightly bitter	Yellow, orange	most often used for color rather than flavor
Chervil	Anthriscus cerefolium	Herbal	White
Dill	Anethum graveolens	Herbal	Yellowish-green
Fennel	Foeniculum vulgare	Mildly anise	Yellow-green	Normally grown as an
Marigold	Tagetes patula	Bitter	Yellow, orange	Lemon Gem and Tangerine Gem have the best flavor
Nasturtium	Tropaeolum majus	Spicy, peppery	Wide range
Okra	Abelmoschus esculentus	Vegetal	Yellow
Pansy	Viola x wittrockiana	Vegetal	Wide range	has a slightly sweet green or grassy flavor; petals have a mild flavor; whole flower has a wintergreen flavor
Red clover	Trifolium pratense	Sweet	Red	raw clover flowers are not easily digestible
Scarlet runner bean	Phaseolus vulgaris	Vegetal	Purple	flower only last one to two days
Signet marigold	Tagetes signata	Spicy, herbal	Yellow	may be harmful if eaten in large amounts; other marigolds are edible but have a tangy to bitter flavor
Snapdragon	Anthirrhinum majus	Bitter	Wide range	use as a garnish
Squash	Curcubita pepo	Vegetal	Yellow
Sunflower	Helianthus annuus	Varies	Yellow	flower is best eaten in bud stage when it has an artichoke flavor; petals of open flowers have a bitter- sweet flavor; pollen can cause a reaction for some people

Using Edible Flowers

This edible flower list gives you some ideas about the wide variety of flowers that can safely be consumed. Most flowers taste better when used raw, but others, such as okra and sunflowers, are delicious cooked as well.

When cooking flowers or adding them to a finished dish, remember that most flowers are delicate and excessive heat will cause them to lose their flavor.

Edible flowers make a wonderful garnish floated in soups, on salads, at the side of a plate or on desserts. Consider "sugaring" edible flowers when you use them to decorate pastries.

Warnings About Using Flowers

First, don't use flowers that aren't edible on or near food. If you aren't sure if a flower is edible, don't use it. Use the edible flowers list above as a guide when making your choices. People will assume that a flower is edible by virtue of its being placed on a plate.

Always know where your flowers are coming from. Growing them yourself is the best possible way to get your flowers because you know that nothing has been sprayed on them.

If you can't grow your own edible flowers or just need to buy some extras, make sure they were organically grown and had no pesticides used on them. Flowers can be difficult to clean so this is really the best option.

Cleaning Edible Flowers

Before using any flowers from the edible flowers list, shake them gently while holding them upside down to make sure there are no bugs in them. Remove the stamen and rinse them gently in a sink or bowl of water.

Allow them to dry outside of direct sunlight. The faster they dry, the more flavor will be retained.

Edible flowers may be stored tightly sealed in a container or wrapped in plastic. You can also keep flowers on their stems stored in the refrigerator in a glass or jar of water.

If your flowers have wilted before you want to use them, place them in a bowl of ice water for a few seconds.