Flowers
From Antivist
Contents |
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 |
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
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.
