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Delectable Delights: Edible Flowers

By Sonia Uyterhoeven
Edible flowers are not to everyones taste. Some are wonderfully fragrant and delicious; others are
lemony; some are spicy and tangy; others taste green and weedy and some even taste fishy. Edible
flowers are a good way to add color and seasoning to your summer salads. They brighten up any herb
butters and dress up a dessert. When added to a bowl of sugar or a bottle of vinegar and left to steep
for several weeks, they create inventive, tasty combinations.
Some flowers need a little bit of preparation before they are ready to tickle your tongue. For many
edible flowers you should only eat the petals. The stamens and pistils (the central bit) of some flowers
should be removed before eating.
You only eat the petals of some of the following flowers: bee balm (Mondara), borage (Borago),
daylilies (Hemerocallis), pot marigold (Calendula), tuberous begonias (Begonia x tuberhybridia),
chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum), safflower (Carthamus) and tulips (Tulipa).
If you are stuffing tulips or daylilies remove the stamens and pistils before you add your filling. For a
complicated flower such as borage it is actually quite simple; to separate borages star-shaped flower
from its hairy stem hold the stem with one hand, pinch the middle of the star-shaped flower and pull.
.
Other flowers such as pinks (Dianthus) and roses (Rosa) can have a bitter white edge at the base of
the petal. If it is bitter, the edge should be cut off before using. Some marigolds (Tagetes) are divine;
others are nottry the lemon-flavored Tagetes tenuifolia Tangerine Gem and Lemon Gem.
Whichever edible flowers you choose make sure you taste it before you prepare it. Different cultivars
will have a wide range of flavors and some will be appealing while others can be quite astringent. For
example, the petals of fragrant tulips are said to have a superior flavor over tulips that lack in
fragrance.
For the best flavor, harvest flowers either when they are in bud or have just opened. Harvest on a dry
day, mid morning after the dew has evaporated and before it gets too hot. It is best to use flowers
when they are fresh. They can be refrigerated for several days, but do not dry or freeze well. Below are
some tips for preserving edible flowers.
Candied or Crystallized Flowers:
In fancy pastry shops, youll sometimes find cakes and cookies adorned with crystallized flowers. It is a
simple yet time-consuming process. Rose petals, violas, scented geraniums, borage, and edible pea
blossoms are all easily candied.
Collect newly opened flowers in the morning on a dry day. Keep part of the stem on so that they are
easy to work with. Wash the flowers and let them dry. Slightly beat one egg white in a bowl. Using a
small paint brush, paint both sides of the flower with the egg white. For less delicate flowers, simply dip
them in the egg white. Then sprinkle with finely ground (superfine) granulated sugar.
Lay flowers on a cake rack; move them occasionally so they dont stick to the rack. Put the flowers in a
warm, dry place (e.g., oven with pilot light on) and let dry for several days. Store flowers in a sealed tin.

Floral Vinegars:
Place several flowers in a clean glass bottle and fill with white wine, red wine, or cider vinegar. Place
the bottle out of direct sunlight and let it steep for 3-6 weeks. Shake the bottle at least once a week to
mix the vinegar. If the flowers are small, you can strain them out before using the vinegar with
cheesecloth. Apple blossoms (Malus), chives (Allium schoenoprasum), nasturtiums (Tropaeolum),
pineapple sage (Salvia elegans), redbud (Cercis) and roses (Rosa) all work well in vinegars.
The rule of thumb is that you add 3-4 sprigs of herbs or flowers per cup of vinegar. When adding garlic
and hot pepper 1 per cup is the recommendation. Some people heat the vinegar slightly before adding
herbs (do not boil), others just keep the vinegar at room temperature. Use a cork or plastic lid
vinegars corrode metal.
Colorful Cubes:
Jazz up a summer iced tea or punch bowl with edible flowers frozen in ice cubes. Pansies and violas
(Viola), borage (Borago) and roses (Rosa) all make colorful additions to the punch bowl.

Warning: Not all plants are edible. In many cases, only certain parts of plants are edible. Many plants
are poisonous. Please make sure that you identify your plants correctly. Many nursery-bought plants
and florists flowers are sprayed with fertilizers and pesticides.
Its better to buy organically grown flowers or better yet, grow your own. Many plants with edible
flowers are beautiful and easy to grow. Always wash leaves and flowers well before eating or cooking
with them. If you use flowers and leaves as decorative garnish on platters of food, make sure they are
edible and well washed.
Below is a list of some edible favorites:
Anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum)
Apple blossoms (Malus)
Arugula flowers (Eruca)
Bee balm (Monarda)the red varieties taste the best (Cambridge Scarlet, Firecracker, and Jacob
Klein)
Tuberous begonias (Begonia x tuberhybridia)
Borage (Borago officinalis)
Broccoli flowers (Brassica)
Pot-marigold (Calendula officinalis)
Chives (Allium schoenoprasum)
Daylilies (Hemerocallis)
Dill (Anethum graveolens)
LavenderEnglish or French (Lavandula)
Nasturtium (Tropaeolum
Edible peas (Pisum sativum)
Redbud (Cercis canadensis)
Roses (Rosa)heirloom roses such as R. gallica, R. centifolia and R. damascena are very fragrant
and are some of the most flavorful varieties.
Squash blossoms (Cucurbita)
Strawberries (Fragaria)
Violas or pansies (Viola)

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