Vegetables, fruits, and herbs aren't the only things you can eat in a garden -- there's flowers that can be eaten as well! And they're great as well with their tingling tastes and beautiful arrangements with different color varieties. Ever tried a flower petal salad? It's beautiful and scrumptious!
Great, right? Well, too bad you can't eat all the flowers in the world and mix them up in various culinary designs, giving each a touch of elegance. Many flower petals are toxic to humans so it's best to choose wisely and know what you're eating first. There's a chart on this on About.com for Home Cooking of Edible Flowers, but we'll put the most common ones here right now.
First, there are some facts that you need to know. NEVER use pesticides or chemicals on or even near the flower blossoms that you are planning to eat. The same goes for greenhouse gases -- don't eat flowers that grew near roadside or lawn mowers or any other machine that runs on nonrenewable energy resources (oil, coal, natural gas). Eat flowers you have grown yourself for you never know what other people do to their flowers and eat fresh. Finally, some flowers look like others. Make sure that you got the right one and only eat the edible part. Think Hunger Games.
Now, off of that note, let's start with the basic seven edible flowers here~!
First, there are some facts that you need to know. NEVER use pesticides or chemicals on or even near the flower blossoms that you are planning to eat. The same goes for greenhouse gases -- don't eat flowers that grew near roadside or lawn mowers or any other machine that runs on nonrenewable energy resources (oil, coal, natural gas). Eat flowers you have grown yourself for you never know what other people do to their flowers and eat fresh. Finally, some flowers look like others. Make sure that you got the right one and only eat the edible part. Think Hunger Games.
Now, off of that note, let's start with the basic seven edible flowers here~!
Chrysanthemums!! These can be slightly spicy or pungent and add great flavors to salads, stir-fries, burritos, and rice dishes!
Daylilies go from sweet and floral to asparagus-y to slightly metallic depending on the variety, but the're great for Asian dishes, desserts, stir-fries, and salads! They work as fine garnish as well~
Nasturtiums are somewhat spicy and peppery used in salads, pastas, stir-fries, and meat dishes. It can be blended with salsa, cream cheese, and butter as well. They are said to taste like watercress and the leaves can be eaten as well.
Lavenders are sweet and savory with the lingering tints of floral, fresh pine and rosemary with citrus notes. English lavender varieties are said to have the best culinary flavor. These can be used for most things from fish, poultry, fruits and vegetables, along with sauces, beverages, and desserts.
Pansies, Johnny Jump Ups, and Violas are all said to taste the same, sporting a light floral taste that some say hints of grape while others say hints of wintergreen. They are used as garnish on salads, hors d'ouevres, or decorating cakes.
Roses vary greatly in flavor from full-bodied floral to pleasantly sweet and floral, to slightly metallic or even overtones of ginger so it's best to taste-test first. Petals are used to flavor honey, beverages, a sorbet or fruit compote or make a classic rose-petal jam.
The flowers of all squash are edible, holding a sweet zucchini-like flavor, only milder. They are used like daylilies though large yellow blooms are perfect for stuffing or deep frying.
There are many types of certain flowers so make sure that you always refer to the scientific name when checking online references on whether the flower petals are safe to eat. And also remember to stay safe and happy eating -- they're all bloomingly delicious!!