Gardening for many is a leisure hobby designed to result in an attractive home and garden. We choose plants to enhance our property or just to add bright bold color that lifts our spirits. That was not always the case. Our ancestors grew flowers we traditionally use as ornamentals not just for beauty in a garden but for culinary purposes. Kathy Brown in The Edible Flower Garden states that the Romans used mallows, fennel, alpine pinks (dianthus), violets and roses in their dishes as well as lavender in their sauces. Pot marigolds and orange blossoms have been used for over a thousand years in Eastern cookery, while lilies and chrysanthemums have been used for even longer.

There has been a rebirth of interest in growing and using edible flowers and herbs with the sustainable   gardening trend. A number of books related to the topic have inspired young creative chefs  to not only use flowers in dishes and for garnishes but to grow their own flowers and herbs on rooftop or nearby gardens for use in their restaurants. These books are also inspiring home gardeners in the same way.  A  review by organicgardening.com recommended a new book titled “Eat Your Roses” by Denise Schreiber as a good choice for beginners to learn about 50 flowers that are attractive in a garden and delicious in various recipes included in the book.  There are many books and articles on the internet about the topic for anyone who may be interested.

Some edible flowers may already be growing in your garden. The big consideration is whether you use pesticides or not. If you are pesticide free then edible flowers can bring flavor, texture and color to salads, soups, deserts and many other dishes. Charlie Nardozzi with The National Gardening Association says his experience has found that not all edible flowers are as tasty as others and people with asthma, allergies or hay fever should never eat them. He further comments that early morning is the best time to pick them because the sugar and volatile oils which give them aroma and flavor are the highest before the heat of the day and photosynthesis converts them to starch. He warns that flowers from florists, nurseries, garden centers or the side of the road are usually not safe for consumption due to pesticide applications.

Nardozzi’s offers suggestions on what he considers the tastiest picks. Roses, particularly the old fashion varieties and some of the David Austin roses which are highly scented, are versatile, high in vitamin C and particularly good in sweet recipes. Crystallized roses, either petals or whole flowers can be used on cakes, frozen desserts and mousses and can be incorporated in butters, jellies, jams and candies.

Salads are a favorite place to incorporate flowers.  Petals from bee balm, daylilies, nasturtiums, lavender, dianthus, pineapple sage, chives, calendula, borage, evening primrose, red clover, mints, hyssop, basil, radish, pansy, violas and sunflower can all be used in salads or as garnishes. With most of these flowers, the part where the petal attaches to the flower may not be as tasty and should be removed but violas, violets (only those which grow outside not  African violets, another plant species which are not edible but toxic), scarlet runner bean florets, honeysuckle and clover are entirely edible   Generally flowers from herbs and vegetables are also edible and taste similar to the leaves except for tomato, potato, eggplant, pepper and asparagus blooms which will make you quite sick if you consume the flowers. Only the fruits of these vegetables are edible.

Hollyhocks are members of the mallow family and were one of the most common pot (term for edible plants used in a soup pot) and salad herbs throughout the Middle Ages. The central reproductive part must be removed but the rest of the blooms can be crystallized and used on cakes or sliced and mixed with salad greens. Wines can be made from elderberries, lime blossoms, dandelions, mint, primrose, clary sage, hop, sweet woodruff and clover.  Zucchini blooms called courgettes, nasturtiums, clary sage and elderberry flowers are often battered and fried.  Lavender, native to the dry Mediterranean countries and is hard to grow here without fastidiously good drainage, has been used for centuries for flavoring  sweet dishes, jams, jellies, teas and various meats, particularly chicken.

Claire Holt, author of an article on fleurgourmandes.com, titled The History and Living Tradition of Edible Flowers sums up the subject quite well. “For all of their history, edible flowers have been a bright spot on the culinary landscape, available to everyone from peasants to kings. Reclaiming this tradition takes nothing more than a pot or patch of land, some care and attention, and a desire to bring beauty and flavors into your life and your kitchen.”

 

 

 

Flower Butter

½ – 1 c.  finely chopped fresh petals (roses are quite delicious in this recipe)

1 lb  unsalted butter at room temperature

Mix and allow to set at room temperature overnight so flavors can fuse. Chill and serve or freeze for later use.

Recipe from what’s cookingamerica.net

 

Candied Flower Petals (Roses, Violas, Pansies, Borage, Etc.)

Paint clean fresh petals with pasteurized egg white product, then sprinkle with granulated white sugar (superfine if available). Once they have dried and crystallized, store in a tightly covered container. Use as a garnish for cakes, cupcakes, etc.

Recipe from University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service