Eat The Flowers!

10 Flowers To Add To The Garden

The list of edible flowers is a long and colorful one that includes everything from weeds such as dandelions, to the more desired rose and even the medicinals such as toothache plant.

Edible flowers are an instant way to jazz up or garnish food. From sprinkling on a salad to freezing them in ice cubes or decorating baked goods, they bring instant cheer and often surprise.

Here are 10 flowers to add to the garden that range from the everyday flowers we are all familiar with to the more exotic or unusual.

Banana

Banana flowers are a common food source in Asian cooking. It is the inner petals or bracts that are edible and can be starchy and bitter as is, but after soaking in a solution of lemon juice and water, they are mildly crunchy and delicately flavored. They are added to stews, stir-fries, soup, and salad..

Borage

Borage flowers have been appearing on plates for ages. They are very common in Middle Eastern food, often found as dry petals in the spice section of middle eastern grocery stores. Use them to garnish drinks, salads, and desserts. A very popular way to use borage flowers is to freeze them into ice cubes and add to drinks. The petals have a faint cucumber flavor.

Calendula

Often referred to as pot marigold, calendula was used as a “poor man’s saffron” to color food. They add a lovely brightness to a compound butter, salad, or sprinkled on cupcakes. The petals are slightly spicy tasting, and the young leaves can also be used in salads. Medicinally calendula blossoms are a powerhouse!

Daylily

The petals of daylilies are syrupy sweet and delicious. As the name suggests, each flower only lasts a day. They make tasty snacking in the garden, but can also be stuffed and fried, or lightly battered and fried, then drizzled with some honey. Please note, only daylilies are edible, do not eat other members of the lily family.

Elderberry (Sambucus niagra, mexicana)

Elderflowers are used to make tea, cordials, wine, and mead. Elder infused honey can also be made. The flowers are medicinal but milder than the berries. Whole heads of flowers can be dipped into batter and fried to maker elderflower fritters.

Feijoa sellowiana(Pineapple Guava)

Feijoa blossoms are delightful! They are deliciously sweet often described as tasting like candyfloss. Sprinkle of fruit salads, desserts, cocktails, or on milkshakes.

Nigella(Love In The Mist)

Nigella seeds adds great flavor to curries, bread, and other baked goods. Stir into cream cheese with fresh herbs and sun-dried tomatoes. There are several species of nigella, some with edible blossoms and seeds. Nigella damascena is the commonly known Love In The Mist. It has a milder tasting seed than Nigella sativa. Nigella sativa is also called black cumin It is very flavorful and used as a spice in food but also medicinally. Set a small posy of nigella flowers in the center of the dinner table and allow hungry “eaters” to garnish their own food with these pretty blooms.

Roselle(Hibiscus sabdarifffa)

Often referred to as hibiscus. Roselle blossoms are prized for its high vitamin C content. It is used to make a richly colored red drink called Jamaica and can also be used in teas, jellies, and even as a cranberry substitute in a chutney. They are used fresh in jellies and chutneys, but the dried blossoms are used in the beverages.

Squash Blossoms

Squash blossoms are a culinary delight. They are large enough for stuffing, but can also be used on pizza, in quesadillas and many other dishes. Try stuffing them with some goat cheese or cream cheese. Make a batter with equal parts flour and cornstarch, some salt, and a bit of hot chili pepper. Batter and fry until golden then drizzle with some honey or fig leaf syrup.

Violets

Violet flowers make a very attractive addition to a salad or to decorate a bowl of ice cream or baked goods. The flowers do not have much flavor, but the leaves have a pleasant sweetness to them and can also be added to food and used for tea. Viola’s and pansies are also edible. Often they are candied and used on cakes. Violets are also used as a medicinal plant.