How to Cook and Eat Edible Flowers

The use of flowers in cooking has been traces back to Roman Times and to the Chinese, Middle Eastern and Indian cultures. They were especially popular during Queen Victoria's reign. Having been out of style for some time, there is a renewed interest in edible flowers for their taste, color and fragrance.

Not all flowers are edible, some may taste really bad and others can be very poisonous. Proper identification is essential, identify the flower exactly and eat only the edible parts of the flower. There are many sources available to help you identify and properly prepare flowers for consumption.

Be sure the flowers you are going to consume have not been sprayed with pesticides or any other chemical. If you are going to be buying your flowers, ask the grower if anything was used in treating the flower. Also be sure to tell the grower that you plan to eat the flowers. If you are still unsure then you can always grow your own. Also, when introducing flowers into your diet, do it one flower at a time and in small quantities, so as not to cause problems for your digestive system.

Flowers should be picked in the cool of the day, after the dew has evaporated. To maintain maximum freshness, keep flowers cool after picking. When ready to consume or prepare them, delicately rinse each flower in cold water and carefully blot them with a paper towel to dry them. Then remove the stems, and pistil.

Flowers can be consumed cooked, in a sauce or raw. It is important to choose the flower according to it's flavor, so it complements the dish. Many edible flowers are high in vitamins C and or A, along with other essential nutrients.

Flowers can be used as garnish, in a salad, for baking, sauces, jelly, syrup, vinegars, honey, oil, tea, flower scented sugar, candied flowers, wine and flavored liquors. Some flowers may also be dried and used like dried herbs.

Here is a short list of some of the more popular edible flowers

Bachelor button
Bee balm
Borage
Calendula
Chamomile
Chive flowers
Daisies
Dandelions
Daylilies
Dianthus
Hibiscus
Hollyhock
Impatiens
Lila
Marigolds
Mint
Nasturtium
Pansies
Roses
Sage
Sesbania grandiflora
Squash blossom
Sunflowers
Violet

Here is a short list of flowers that should be avoided.

Azalea
Crocus
Daffodil
foxglove
Oleander
Rhododendron
Jack-in-the-pulpit
Lily of the valley
Wisteria