The 10 Rules of Edible Flowers
1. Eat flowers only when you are positive they are edible.
2. Just Because it is served with food does not mean a flower is edible (see rule #1).
3. Eat only flowers that have been grown organically.
4. Do not eat flowers from florists, nurseries or garden centres (see rule #3).
5. If you have hay fever, asthma or allergies, do not eat flowers.
6. Do not eat flowers picked from the side of the road. They are contaminated from car emissions (see rule #1).
7. Remove pistils and stamens from flowers before eating. Eat only the petals.
8. Not all flowers are edible. Some are poisonous.
9. There are many varieties of any one flower. Flowers taste different when grown in different locations.
10. Introduce flowers into your diet the way you would new foods to a baby – one at a time in small quantities.
The Big 10
* Calendula * Chives * Daylily
* Mint * Nasturtium * Pansy
* Rose * Sage * Signet Marigold
* Squash Blossoms
* Walk around your property and your vegetable garden, to see which ones you have (from the above list).
* Once you have determined which flowering “delicacies” you have, consider adding a few choice perennials, bulbs, shrubs or trees. Because they grow for years, perennial plants need a permanent site; consider carefully where to locate them.
How to Grow Edible Flowers
Overview
Edible flowers include garden variety flowers such as violas, pansies, roses, calendula, chrysanthemum, day lilies, hibiscus, and snap dragons. Edible flowers have a number of uses for the home gardener. Use edible flowers such as nasturiums to add a peppery flavor to your salad. Add marigolds to a vegetable dish for color, or a hint of sweetness to a fruit dish by adding pansies. Many edible flowers can be sugared by painting with whipped egg whites then sprinkled with sugar and used for decoration on desserts. Freeze flowers in ice cube trays, one per cube, to add elegance to drinks. Grow edible flowers in pots.
Location
Step 1
Determine where you will be growing your edible flowers. Most flowers need at least six hours of direct sunlight to blossom and eight is better. Pots can be heavy when filled with soil and water. Decide where you want the pots before planting. Consider how you will get water to the pots if natural rainfall isn't enough to keep them growing. During summer months many pots will need to be watered once a day.
Step 2
Group flowers that have the same watering requirements together in the same area, pot or groups of pots. Some flowers, like roses, need to be kept moist but don't tolerate wet soil.
Step 3
Plant varieties together. It is acceptable to plant more than one variety in a single pot if the pot is large enough so the flowers won't be crowded when mature.
Step 4
Grow your own plants from seed. Edible flowers are best grown from seed unless you're willing to discard blossoms from nursery plants for at least several weeks. Nurseries and commercial plant farms use pesticides which can be harmful if ingested by humans. There are organic plants available but they aren't easy to find.
Step 5
Prepare the pots. Place a coffee filter in the bottom of the pot so the excess water drains out but the soil stays inside. You may have to use more than one. Fill the pot half way with potting soil. Water to settle the soil. Add a measure of fertilizer per package directions. Fill the pot to the about an inch below the top. Mix the fertilizer and soil well.
Step 6
Place the seedlings a little below the soil's surface. Plant seeds at the depth specified on the package. Plant seeds too deep and they won't sprout. Plant too shallow and they dry out.
Step 7
Water well. Do not let the pots dry out until the seeds have sprouted and are well established. Taper off watering to the point you only water when the soil feels dry at a depth of two inches. The easiest way to tell is to stick your finger in the soil. If it's moist you don't need to water.
Tips and Warnings
Do not use insecticides or pesticides unless clearly labeled that they can be used on the day of harvesting. If at all possible don't use them at all. Remove bugs by hand or spray off with a stream of water.
How to Pick Edible Flowers
Overview
It's shocking how many flowers you can eat. You'll never look at a bouquet the same way again. Consuming flowers can be traced back to medieval Europe and to Native American times. Nowadays, eating a mixed salad with pansies and chrysanthemums is considered fun, taboo, exotic and a culinary indulgence. Important note: All flowers should be organic, meaning no chemicals, pesticides or sprays have been used on them.
Flower Research
Step 1
Picking an edible flower versus a poisonous one is serious business. Print out a list of both edible and poisonous flowers from Rosalind Creasy's "The Edible Flower Garden." She provides an extensive, well researched list.
Step 2
Decide whether you'd like to grow a small edible flower garden or head to a greenhouse or farmers' market to choose your flowers. Either way, you'll narrow down your selections to a few flowers that pique your interest.
Step 3
Each flower has specific directions for preparation. For example: With roses, you'll remove the bitter white part off the base of the petal. With squash blossoms, you'll need to remove stems, stamens and stigmas. Lilacs? Pick the heads off the flower soon after they open. Following Creasy's advice will save you from eating and cooking the wrong part of the flower.
Step 4
Flavor: Obviously each flower offers distinct flavors. Doing your research ahead of time can save your taste buds disappointment. Lavender, the rock star of edible flowers, has a strong lemony taste. It can be used in many ways, most notably in syrup, flavoring sugar, jelly, custards and in many desserts. In comparison, tulip petals offer a sweetness like a pea. "Mustard flowers add a bite to a mixed salad," Creasy says.
Step 5
If the idea of eating and cooking with flowers intimidates you, try an easy recipe like Nasturtium Butter (only four ingredients: butter, nasturtium flower and leaves, chive leaves). Other recipes that can be found in Creasy's book: Rose Petal Sorbet, Lavender Shortbread cookies, Ricotta Stuffed Zucchini Flowers and more.
Tips and Warnings
According to Rosalind Creasy, you should never risk eating any flowering plant unless it's on a edible list. Never make assumptions. Remember heating and cooking remove some toxins, not all. So don't think you can turn a "bad" flower into a "good" one. "Never use a flower as a garnish if it's not edible," Creasy says. Animals can eat plants and flowers that are fatal to humans. Here is a partial list of poisonous plants: amaryllis, autumn crocus, azalea, belladonna lily, bird of paradise, buttercup, clematis, daffodil, delphinium, foxglove, hydrangea, iris, lily of the valley, lupine, monkshood, narcissus, oleander, poinsettia, rhododendron, star of Bethlehem, sweet pea, wisteria.
How to Choose Edible Flowers
Overview
Would you be surprised to find out that many vegetables are really edible flowers? That's exactly what broccoli, artichokes, and cauliflower are--immature flower heads. Of course that's not what is usually meant by the term edible flowers. Edible flowers--like roses, pansies, and nasturtiums--can be used as seasoning, garnishes, or as ingredients in their own right. Before growing your own edible flowers, find out which ones you like and don't like.
Step 1
Select flowers at the grocery store that are clearly marked edible. Find them in the produce aisles. Flowers from the florist department of the store may in fact be edible but have been sprayed with insecticides during the growing season, rendering them poisonous. In the produce department most edible flowers are sold with just the blossoms. Look for flowers that are fresh and that don't have any signs of wilting, decay or mold. You will most likely find edible flowers in gourmet grocery stores.
Step 2
Order edible flowers online through specialty markets. Sometimes your regular grocer will special order as well. You can order edible flowers as dried flowers. They're not as pretty as fresh but for some recipes work just as well. Dried flowers are similar to dried herbs.
Step 3
Decide how you're going to use the flowers. Flowers, like vegetables and fruits, have different tastes. A flower with a strong herbaceous flavor, such as marigolds, won't work in a dessert but would work in a salad. Some flowers are best eaten raw and don't work in a cooked dish. You can use flowers as garnishes for cocktails, adding both a bright splash of color and taste. Freeze small flowers like pansies or miniature roses in individual ice cubes. Freeze large flowers in a bowl of water. Use the ice to chill a punch served in a punch bowl.
Step 4
Experiment with different flowers if you're unfamiliar with them. Of course that means that you may waste a few blossoms here and there. Nibble a petal or two to get the flavor and texture of the flower. Blanch it in boiling water to see if it retains its shape or turns into a slimy mess. Knowing which flowers you like makes it easier to select the flowers you want to grow.
Step 5
Grow your own edible flowers. Select a variety of easy-to-grow edible flowers, such as those already mentioned, plus geraniums, snapdragons, sunflowers and carnations. Start the flowers yourself from seed, or buy organically grown plants. If you buy the plants from a nursery, remove all flowers and buds and wait for the flowers to re-bloom before eating.
Tips and Warnings
Do not use flowers from your garden or florist thinking you can rinse them off to get rid of any pesticides.
... to be continued
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