Edible flowers!

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Hi everyone! I’ve been intrigued by goy’ers mentioning flowers that they eat, much to my amazement!

For goy’ers reference, I borrowed a book from the local library, “Crops in Pots” by Bob Purnell and he gives suggestions for the following plants:

Agastache:commonly used culinary variety is Anise
hyssop (A.foeniculum)

Pot Marigold: Petals used to colour rice, instead of Saffron. Tasty in butters, cheeses and cakes or sprinkled over salads.

Cornflower: flowers fresh in salads or dried and included in pot-pourri.

Clove Pink or Gillyflower: salads (mostly used for flavouring syrups and liqueurs!)

Sunflower: Green flowerheads can be fried in butter. Seeds eaten raw or roasted.

Daylily: buds and petals are edible, having a sweet flavour reminiscent of water chestnuts and a crunchy lettuce like texture. Use in salads, stir-fries and for garnishing.

Scented leaved Pelargonium: Lemon P. Citronellum and apple P. Odoratissimum can be used to make tea. Mostly grown for fragrant oils.

Primrose: flowers and leaves added to salads. Flowers pretty garnishes for delicate puddings.

Nasturtium (Tropaeolum Majus): flowers frequently added to salads but the peppery leaves can also be eaten in salads. Seeds can be pickled and used as a substitute for capers.

Viola/Pansy: Garnish for desserts or fresh in salads. Crystallized or frosted (with egg white and sugar) to decorate cakes.

There! If anyone knows any other uses for these flowers, or other flowers that can be used in culinary purposes, do write back! Thanks!

ps. Don’t forget, only eat in moderation!

• 5 Jun, 2009
• 7 likes

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