GARDENING - PLANTS * HERBS
PLANT INFORMATION * EDIBLE FLOWERS
Edible flowers
Cooking with flowers can be traced back to Roman times, and to the Chinese, Middle Eastern, and Indian cultures. In fact, broccoli, cauliflower, and artichokes are all flowers. The spice saffron comes from the stamen of the crocus flower, and capers are unopened flower buds.
Be careful when cooking with edible flowers. Never use flowers from plants that have been sprayed with pesticides or other chemicals. The Rusted Gate carries only USDA Certified Organic Edible Flowers. So, you never have to worry! (The flowers are grown locally, as well.)
Tips for cooking with edible flowers:
- Keep the dish simple. Do not use a lot of flavors that will cover the delicate taste of the flower.
- Do not use in large quantities, as they are not as easy to digest.
- Not all flowers are edible, so be very careful you are indeed cooking with an edible variety.
- In most cases, the pistols and stems must be removed, and only the petals can be eaten.
- For best results and tastiest flavor, pick flowers early in the morning and use that day.
- Consult a professional cookbook for risks and warnings of all varieties of flowers before experimenting.
Types of Edible Flowers:
Alliums (leeks, chives, garlic, garlic chives) - AKA "Flowering Onions." All parts of the plants are edible. The flowers tend to have a stronger flavor than the leaves and the young developing seed-heads are even stronger. Leaves can be cooked with other vegetables in soups, etc.
Angelica - Depending on the variety, flowers range from pale lavender-blue to deep rose. Flavor similar to licorice. Valued in cooking from the seeds and stems, which are candied and used in liqueurs; to the young leaves and shoots, which can be added to a green salad. Young leaves can also be made into a tea.
Arugula - An Italian green usually used raw in salads or on sandwiches. The flowers are small, white with dark centers and can be used in salad for a light piquant flavor.
Aquatic Plants - Cattails have edible shoots and roots; Arrowheads have large edible tubers at the root ends, called duck potatoes; Watercress has historic medicinal uses and its spicy vegetation is used in salads and garnishes; Water lily roots are common in many parts of the world, especially the Far East, and have historic medicinal value.
Bee Balm – (Wild Bergamot, Wild Oswego Tea, Horsemint, Monarda) Tastes like oregano and mint, with a citrus twist. The leaves and flower petals can be used in fruit and regular salads.
Borage and Burnet - Has cornflower blue star-shaped flowers. Blossoms have a cool, cucumber taste. Great in punches, lemonade, gin and tonics, sorbets, chilled soups, cheese tortas, and dips.
Calendula – (Marigolds) Flavors range from spicy to bitter, tangy to peppery. Their sharp taste resembles saffron. Have pretty petals in golden-orange hues. Sprinkle on soups, pasta or rice dishes, herb butters, and salads.
Carnations - Steep in wine, candy, or use as cake decoration. To use in desserts, cut away from the bitter white base of the flower. Dianthus is the miniature member of the carnation family with light, clove-like, or nutmeg scent. Petals add color to salads or aspics. Carnation petals are one of the secret ingredients used to make Chartreuse, a French liqueur, since the 17th century.
Chamomile - Flowers are small and daisy-like and have a sweet, apple-like flavor.
Chicory - Earthy flavor, eat either the petals or the buds. Chicory has a pleasant, mild-bitter taste that compares to endive. The buds can be pickled.
Chrysanthemums - Tangy, slightly bitter; ranging in colors from red, white, yellow and orange. Range in taste from faint, peppery to mild cauliflower. Petals should be blanched first and then scattered on a salad. Leaves can also be used to flavor vinegar.
Cornflower – (Bachelor’s button) Slightly sweet to spicy, clove-like flavor. Bloom is a natural food dye. Most commonly used as garnish.
Dame's Rocket (Hesperis matronalis) – (Sweet Rocket or Dame's Violet) The flowers are deep lavender, and sometimes pink to white. Part of the mustard family. The plant and flowers are edible, but fairly bitter. The leaves and flowers are attractive added to green salads.
Dandelions - Member of Daisy family. Flowers are sweetest when picked young. They have a sweet, honey-like flavor. Mature flowers are bitter. Dandelion buds are tastier than the flowers. Good raw or steamed. Also can be made into wine. Young leaves taste good steamed, or tossed in salads.
Day Lilies - Slightly sweet with a mild vegetable flavor, like sweet lettuce or melon. Flavor is a combination of asparagus and zucchini. Chewable consistency. NOTE: Many Lilies contain alkaloids and are NOT edible. Day Lilies may act as a diuretic or laxative; eat in moderation
Fuchsia - Blooms have a slightly acidic flavor. Explosive colors and graceful shape make it an ideal garnish. The berries are also edible.
Garden Sorrel - Flowers are tart, lemon tasting. Use like a lemon on pizza, a salad topping, in sauces, over cucumber salads, etc.
Gladiolus - Flowers (anthers removed) have a nondescript flavor but make lovely receptacles for sweet or savory spreads or mousses. Toss individual petals in salads.
Hibiscus - Cranberry-like flavor with citrus overtones. Use slightly acidic petals sparingly in salads or as garnish.
Honeysuckle - Sweet honey flavor. Only the flowers are edible. Berries are highly poisonous - Do not eat them!
Hyacinth - Only the Wild Hyacinth (Brodiaea douglasii) bulbs are edible. The bulbs can be used like potatoes and eaten either raw or cooked and has a sweet, nutlike flavor. NOTE: The common hyacinth (found in your gardens) is toxic and must not be eaten.
Jasmine - The flowers are intensely fragrant and are traditionally used for scenting tea.
Johnny-Jump-Ups - Yellow, white, and purple blooms have a mild wintergreen flavor and can be used in salads, to decorate cakes, or served with soft cheese. Great addition to drinks, soups, desserts or salads.
Lemon Verbena - Tiny cream-colored, citrus-scented blossoms. Leaves and flowers can be steeped as an herb tea, and used to flavor custards and flans.
Lilac - The flavor of lilacs varies from plant to plant. Very perfumy, slightly bitter. Has a distinct lemony taste with floral, pungent overtones. Great in salads.
Linden - Small flowers, white to yellow are fragrant and have a honey-like flavor.
Mustard - Young leaves can be steamed, used as an herb, eaten raw, or cooked like spinach.
Nasturtiums - Rank amongst most common edible flowers. Blossoms have a sweet, spicy flavor similar to watercress. Leaves add peppery tang to salads. Pickled seed pods are a less expensive substitute for capers. Use entire flowers to garnish platters, salads, cheese tortas, open-faced sandwiches, and savory appetizers.
Okra - Hibiscus-like flowers and seed pods that, when picked tender, produce a delicious vegetable dish when stewed or fried. When cooked it resembles asparagus. When left raw, can be served in a cold salad. The ripe seeds can be used as a substitute for coffee. The seed can be dried and powdered for storage and future use.
Pansy - Slightly sweet, green or grassy flavor. If you eat only the petals, the flavor is extremely mild, but if you eat the whole flower, there is a winter, green overtone. Use them as garnishes, in fruit salads, green salad, desserts or in soups.
Peony - Add petals to your summer salad or try floating in punches and lemonades.
Pineapple Guava - The flavor is sweet and tropical, somewhat like a freshly picked ripe papaya or exotic melon still warm from the sun.
Primrose - Colorful with a sweet, but bland taste.
Queen Anne's Lace – (Wild Carrot and Bishop's Lace) Has a light carrot flavor. The flowers are small and white, and bloom in a lacy, flat-topped cluster. Great in salads.
Radish Flowers - Depending on the variety, flowers may be pink, white or yellow, and will have a distinctive, spicy bite (has a radish flavor). Best used in salads.
Roses - Flavors depend on type, color, and soil conditions. Flavor reminiscent of strawberries and green apples. Sweet, with subtle undertones ranging from fruit to mint to spice. All roses are edible. Flavor more pronounced in darker varieties. Miniature varieties can garnish ice cream and desserts, or larger petals can be sprinkled on desserts or salads. Freeze in ice cubes and float in punches. Petals used in syrups, jellies, perfumed butters and sweet spreads.
Safflower - Its dried flowers, Mexican saffron, are used as a food colorant in place of the more aromatic and expensive Spanish saffron.
Savory - The flavor of the flowers is somewhat hot and peppery.
Scarlet Runner Beans - Bean pods toughen as they age, so make to use young pods, as well as flowers.
Scented Geraniums - The flower flavor generally corresponds to the variety. Come in fragrances from citrus and spice to fruits and flowers, and usually in colors of pinks and pastels. Sprinkle over desserts and in refreshing drinks, or freeze in ice cubes.
Snap Dragon - Delicate garden variety can be bland to bitter. Flavors depend on type, color, and soil conditions. Not the best flower to eat.
Sunflower - Best eaten in the bud stage when it tastes similar to artichokes. Once the flower opens, the flavor is distinctly bittersweet. The unopened flower buds can also be steamed like artichokes.
Sweet Woodruff - Flavor is sweet and grassy with a hint of nutty, vanilla.
Tuberous Begonia – (Only Hybrids are edible) Petals are edible. The bright colors and sour, fruity taste bring flavor and beauty to summer salads. Blossoms have a citrus, sour taste and a juicy crunch. Petals are used as a garnish and in salads. Stems can be used in place of rhubarb.
Tulip Petals – Generally, the petals taste like sweet lettuce, fresh baby peas, or cucumber. Don't ever eat the bulbs, ever.
Violets - Sweet, perfumed flavor. Can be used in salads, as a dessert or drink garnish, or frozen in cubes for punches. Heart-shaped leaves are edible and tasty when cooked like spinach.
Yucca Petals - The white flower is crunchy and mildly sweet (a hint of artichoke). In the spring, they can be used in salads and as a garnish.
Other edible flowers:
(Consult a professional cookbook for precise uses!)
- Mint
- Apple Blossoms
- Banana Blossoms
- Citrus Blossoms (Orange, Grapefruit, Lemon, Lime, etc)
- Pea Blossoms
- Squash Blossoms