EDIBLE FLOWER GARDENS

As gardeners, many of us enjoy growing our own food and herbs but often ignore using edible flowers which add taste, beauty, health and make a great conversation starter at dinner.

Below are some notes for uses & preparation of flowers for eating:

1. Ensure flowers haven’t been sprayed with chemicals or have insects in them. Avoid eating flowers from florists, garden centres or from the side of the road. Most have been sprayed with pesticides.

2. Flowers of most vegetables & herbs are safe to eat but if in any doubt whether or not it’s edible, don’t eat. (see above paragraph on ones to avoid).

3. When using flowers in salad, put the dressing on first, flowers last to avoid SPS (soggy petal syndrome!)

4. Most herb flowers taste similar to the foliage and are lovely to add to salads. Use petals in any dish you were already going to flavour with the herb. Blooms can be stored in crisper of fridge until ready to use.

5. Introduce flowers into your diet in small quantities one species at a time. Too much of a good thing may upset your digestion.

6. Remove pistils and stamens from flowers before eating - eat petals only. Exceptions are violas and nasturtiums where pistils/stamens add flavor. PIC: www.middlepath.com.au

7. Allergy sufferers:- introduce edible flowers gradually as some may be aggravating.

8. Harvest flowers in the late afternoon and avoid picking when wet as moisture/dew can spoil the flavour.

HERBAL HONEY - using chopped herbal flowers + unprocessed honey.

METHOD

Place flowers in a wide mouthed glass jar nearly filled to top.

Pour honey over and fill to top, mixing as needed to get rid of air bubbles. Screw lid on tightly, label and date. Leave this to steep for 2 – 6 wks +.

This may be used as a spread on bread, added to raw treat balls, smoothies, dressings and teas.

FLOWER BUTTER:- using: 1/2 -1 cup chopped fresh or dried petals + 500gms unsalted butter, room temp

METHOD

Finely chop petals & mix into softened butter. Allow mixture to stand at room temperature overnight to allow the flavors to fuse. Store in fridge or freezer.

WARNING! Not all flowers are meant to be eaten. Some flowers are poisonous and to be thoroughly avoided anywhere near your digestive system!

In particular – stay away from: azalea, crocus, daffodil, foxglove, oleander, frangipani, agapanthus, rhododendron, lily of the valley, tomato, potato, eggplant, capsicum, asparagus, sweet peas and wisteria.

This is by no means a complete list.

For more info on poisonous plants read the excellent book by Australian author Sally Wilson, Some Plants Are Poisonous.

FLOWER		NOTES AND RECIPES – HOW TO USE

APPLE BLOSSOM Malus species NOTE: Enjoy it in moderation. Flowers and seeds may contain cyanide precursors.		Pink/white flowers in early spring. Add to salads and use infused petals in whipped cream or icecream ( (good with apple pie/ tarts). Apple blossoms have a delicate floral flavor and aroma and are lovely with fruit dishes. May be be crystalised to use as a garnish. Remember if you eat the flower it will not fruit!
ARABIAN JASMINE		‘Duke of Tuscany’ cultivar is used to flavour jasmine tea. Make a syrup and use as base for sorbets, icecreams or pour over melons, figs or poached pears.
BANANA BLOSSOMS Musa paradisiaca		Also know as Banana Hearts. These huge flowers are cone shaped and burgundy torpedo, arising from the top of the trunks. Banana blossoms are used in Southeast Asian cuisines. The blossoms can be cooked or eaten raw. Remove fibrous outer covering to reveal whitish tender parts of the blossom. Slice and let it sit in water until most of the sap is gone. If you eat it raw, make sure the blossom comes from a variety that isn't bitter. Leaves can be used as eco plates!
BASIL Ocimum basilicum		Flavour of basil flower is similar but milder than basil leaves. Many different varieties of basil give rise to different flower taste ie lemon and mint. Sprinkle them over salad or pasta.
BORAGE Borago officinalis NB the ancient Romans sprinkled borage flowers in wine as it was believed to give courage before battle and help against feelings of sadness.		Mix in salads, especially with cucumbers as borage flowers have a cucumbery taste (add at last minute to avoid wilt). Freeze in icecubes and float in drinks (punches, lemonade, gin and tonics or iced tea). Eat flower only (remove hairy sepals before eating). Delicious garnish on sorbets, chilled soups, canapes, and dips esp.smoked salmon. Crystallized blossoms are also used as garnishes for cakes and pastries. Pregnant women should avoid borage flowers as 8-10 flowers can cause milk to flow.
BROCCOLI Brassica oleracea		Let broccoli go to flower after harvesting secondary mini heads. Attracts hoverflies and other predators which will munch on your pests. Light yellow flowers have a mild spicy broccoli flavour. Sprinkle them over salads, in sandwiches, garnish stir fries,or with steamed fish.
CALENDULA Calendula officinalis		Spicy, peppery flavour, slightly bitter. Use fresh petals to add golden colour to dishes. Use in salads sparingly and as garnish for soups, frittatas, rice dishes. Add to seafood paella or plain rice (use as a saffron substitute). Can blend finely chop-ped petals with icing sugar to create bright natural dye. Add to chooks food to give deeper yellow yolks. Flowers in winter.
CERCIS (Judas tree) Cercis canariensis		Can garnish cooked vegies or add crunch to salads. Also may pickle buds like capers & make flower clusters into fritters, frying in batter. Taste: cross between green beans/tart apple.
CHIVES & SOCIETY GARLIC (both varieties)		Use in any dish you’d use onions in or to give mild onion flavour. Harvest flowers just after they open and separate the florets. Flowers taste better when young. Use in salads, dips, sauces, add to sour cream and goat cheese. Garnish cream of tomato soup, add to omelets, pasta dishes. Yum!
CORIANDER Coriandrum sativum		Pretty white flowers which taste like leaves. Remove small florets from stem (which is tough and fibrous), c chop and use sparingly in salads, coconut curries, stir fries, salsas.
CITRUS BLOSSOMS orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit, kumquat, lemonade. NB Taste first as some citrus are very strong		Sprinkle petals sparingly on fruit salads or to flavour homemade lemonade whipped cream/icecream. Use in jams or syrups. Orange flower water is used as a drink, in pastries or face spray (keep in fridge – wonderful in summer). Blooms make great garnish for citrus based desserts.
DAYLILY Hemerocallis spp & cvs .		Ranges in taste from sweetlettuce or melon to metallic – try before using in food. Buds can be used in stirfries and japanese tempura. Buds taste like cross between to asparagus/green beans. Can saute or bake buds. Sliced petals can be used sprinkled in salads and soups. Different colored blossoms have different flavors. Petals are good in desserts. Cut them away from the bitter white base of the flower. NOTE: Many Lilies contain alkaloids and are NOT edible. Make sure you are eating a daylily! May act as a diuretic or laxative; eat in moderation
DILL Anethum graveolens		Break up flowerheads & use in omelets, salads or sprinkle over vegie dishes. Tangy flavour goes well with potatoes, beetroot and carrots. Good in fish sauces and with soft mild cheese. Stronger taste than leaves. Use yellow flowers as you would the herb to season hot or cold soups, seafood dressings, and dips. The seeds used in pickling & baking.
DIANTHUS/CARNATIONS Dianthus caryophyllus		Tastes spicy, peppery, clove-like and may be used instead of cloves. Dried flowers can be powdered in mortar and pestle and used to flavour cakes and biscuits. Can steep in alchol and use like vanilla essence. Add to fruit salad at last minute. Make into syrup, sorbets or custard. Chopped and mixed into butter, garnish cakes, soups and punch bowls. Remove white base of petals if it tastes bitter.
FEIJOIAS (GUAVA) Feijoa sellowiana		Delicious petals may be eaten by themselves, tastes sweet and tropical, like the fruit. Use in fruit salads or cold drinks or with avocados. Interestingly, eating the petals still enables fruit to mature unlike other fruit trees. How generous is this tree?
FENNEL Foeniculum vulgare		Yellow florets have mild anise flavour. Use to garnish dishes made with fennel, over fish, chopped and added to potato, tomato, beetroot, artichoke dishes and desserts.
FUCHSIA Fuchsia x hybrida		Blooms have a slightly acidic flavor. Bright colours and graceful shape make it ideal as garnish. The berries are also edible.
GARLIC FLOWERS Allium sativum		White or pink flowers have a garlicky zing which is milder than the garlic bulb. Wonderful in salads or on potatoes. May use combo of unpeeled garlic cloves and flowers (or just the cloves) to make garlic honey. Fill jar with garlic cloves and flowers then pour in honey. Leave to steep, strain and use in flu season in hot lemon drinks. The longer it’s left the stronger it will be. See entry on chives and society garlic for more uses of these flowers.
GERANIUMS Perlagonium spp rose, peppermint, apple-mint and lemon scented are the best varieties to use. NB citronella geranium = inedible .		Use to flavour icecreams, custards or to garnish fruit salad. Add to crème fraiche served over strawberries or peaches. Florets can be put into sugar canister to flavour sugar to use in cakes biscuits and tea. Sprinkle them over desserts and in refreshing drinks or freeze in ice cubes. Make rose or lemon scented geranium honey.
HIBISCUS Hibiscus rosa-sinensis		Cranberry-like flavor with citrus overtones. Use slightly acidic petals sparingly in salads or as garnish on dips. The flower can be dried to make an exotic tea or try making this cordial: Pour 3 cups of boiling water over 3 cups of hibiscus flowers. Chill then strain. Add sugar syrup. NB - according to some sources, double petals may be a bit less palatable to the digestive process than the single. So perhaps only try this with single bloomed hibiscus. The singles (in all flowers) are also a lot easier for insects/bees to pollinate as they have a more stable 'landing pad'.
HONEYSUCKLE Lonicera japonica		Sweet honey flavour, tastes like it smells - delicious in desserts. Infuse flowers with strawberries to make sorbet or steep to make a herbal tea. Use in salads as garnish. Be a bird and slurp nectar out of the bottom of the flower! Only the flowers are edible. NOTE: Berries are highly poisonous - Do not eat them!
IMPATIENS Impatiens wallerana		The flowers have a sweet flavour. They can be used as a garnish - in salads or floated in drinks
LAVENDER Lavandula angustifolia English lavender (arguably the most deliciously scented variety)		Lavender flowers can be used fresh or dried. Leaves and flowers heads can be steeped for making sorbets, icecream and syrups (delicious over poached pears) custards or flans. May be used to flavour sugar and used in biscuits/sweets. Flowers look and taste lovely in a glass of champagne or to garnish chocolate cake. Sunshine Shortbread:Thanks Mary P for this recipe! 135gm soft butter ∞ 1/2 cup SR Flour 2 tbsp Instant Shine Milk 2 tblsp Icing Sugar ∞ 1/2 cup cornflour 1/2 tsp of vanilla essence 1 flat tsp dried English lavender (grow your own or buy dried from Freo markets). Method: Cream butter gradually add other ingredients except lavender. Mix to a pastry texture then add lavender. Mix well. Roll out pastry. Cut into fingers. Prick with fork, bake in a slow oven 150-160C for 20 mins.
NASTURTIUM Tropaeolum majus NB. nasturtiums leaves & flowers have antibiotic properties. Can make tea out of leaves (very pungent – needs honey to make palatable) but excellent for immune system boost.		Spicy peppery taste similar to watercress. Use sparingly, the lusher the soil, the milder the taste (leaves & flowers). Adds zip to sandwiches/salads. May add whole flowers on top of pizzas/soups. Immature seed pods can be pickled and used instead of expensive capers in salads and on pizza.. Use to make lavender flower honey. See honey section above. PIC: www.middlepath.com.au
ROCKET Eruca vesicaria NB Rocket is an excellent beneficial insect attractor and will reseed in your garden next season. It is reputed to be excellent for the liver.		White flowers have nutty, horse-radish flavour similar in taste to the leaves. Use in green or pasta salads, f frittatas, pizzas, roasted vegie paninis, as tomato soup garnish or on sandwich-es. Blooms lend a light piquant flavor. Leaves have spicy, pep-pery flavor: mild in young leaves, more intense in mature ones
ROSEMARY Rosemarinus officinalis		Sprinkle over salads or veg dishes, grilled eggplants, grilled mushrooms, on top of roast potatoes. Flowers can be added to herb vinegars or honey.Blossoms have a milder flavour than leaf. Fresh or dried herb and blossoms enhance flavor of Mediterranean dishes. Use with meats, seafoods, sorbets or dressings.
ROSES Rosa rugosa R. gallica officinalis Rose Petal Tea - Serves 2. 1 cup fragrant rose petals (7 large roses) 1.5 cups filtered water Honey to taste 1. Remove bitter white bases from rose petals, rinse petals. 2. Place petals in small saucepan over med-hi heat. 3. Cover with water and bring just to a simmer for 5 minutes, or until the petals become discolored. 4. Strain then add honey to taste if desired.		Individual petals of large varieties and small flowered roses can be used as garnishes on platters or desserts. Use to make rosewater. Can infuse to make flavoured butters and syrups. Rose sugar: mince 2 cups of fragrant petals and pound in mortar and pestle with 1 cup of granulated sugar. Let mixture sit for a week, strain out petals. Store in airtight container. Flavours depend on type, color, and soil conditions. Petals taste sweet with subtle undertones ranging from fruit to mint to spice. All roses are edible, with the flavour being more pronounced in the darker varieties. Though dark red varieties can be too strong and metallic tasting. Freeze them in ice cubes and float them in punches also. Petals are used in syrups, jellies, perfumed butters and sweet spreads. NOTE: Make sure you remove the bitter white portion of the petals. Rose honey = lay petals - minus their white bases - into glass jar and pour over honey to cover. Leave to steep 2 -3 weeks.
SAGE Salvia officinalis		Edible sage blooms are lovely to garnish frittatas, tomato cream soup, mushroom risotto. Mince flowers and use in butter to melt over grilled mushrooms. Flowers are a delicious companion to many foods including beans, corn dishes, sauteed or stuffed mushrooms, or pesto sauce. Sage honey is excellent with hot lemon water for sore throats.
Thymus vulgaris		Tiny white, pink or lavender flowers are good for garnishing platters or sprinkled over soups, salads, sauces, asparagus, incorporated into butters. Taste = milder version of leaf. Use sprigs as garnish or remove flowers and sprinkle over soups, etc. Use thyme flowers anywhere the herb might be used.

VIOLETS Viola tricolour - Johnny Jump ups		Pretty in salads, tastes a bit like lettuce with a mild winter-green flavor - can be bitter – try first. These lovely yellow, white and purple blooms can also be used to decorate cakes, or to serve with soft cheese. They are also a tasty addition to drinks, soups and desserts.
VIOLA SPECIES - violets		Strong, floral sweet flavour – use in salads as garnish or in sandwiches. Freeze in icecubes and float in a punch bowl. May use violets to scent a sugar bowl or flavour a custard. Make pretty adornments for icing on cakes, on sorbets, or any other desserts. Heart-shaped leaves are edible, and tasty when cooked like spinach. Reportedly good for the heart. Don't you love the doctrine of signatures?!
Yucca species		The white flower is crunchy with a mildly sweet taste and a hint of artichoke. Use in salads and as a garnish. Only the petals are edible. Other parts contain saponin, which is poisonous. Large amounts may be harmful.