Have you ever eaten flowers?

By Melanie Mathieson
Gardening Guru

Have you ever eaten flowers? No? Well I bet you have and you didn’t realize it. Did you know that broccoli, cauliflower, and artichokes are all flowers? Also the spice saffron is the stamen from the crocus flower? Capers are unopened flower buds, from a bush native in the Mediterranean. For many years chefs have used flowers in recipes as both ingredients and garnishes. You can add edible flowers to your culinary creations as well. Cooking with flowers has been traced back to Roman times and to the Chinese, Middle Eastern, and Indian cultures.  Edible flowers were especially popular in the Victorian era during Queen Victoria’s reign.
One very important thing that you need to remember is that not every flower is edible. In fact, sampling some flowers can make you very, very sick. You also should never use pesticides or other chemicals on any part of any plant that produces blossoms you plan to eat. Identify the flower exactly and eat only edible flowers and the edible parts of those flowers. Always remember to use flowers sparingly in your recipes due to the digestive complications that can occur if you consume a large amount. Note that most herb flowers are edible and have a taste that’s similar to the leaf, but usually spicier.
Here is a list of some of the common flowers for you to try if you want to expand your culinary skills with edible flowers. It is also just one more reason to plant more flowers.
Alliums (leeks, chives, garlic, garlic chives) - There are approximately four hundred species in the Allium family, including the familiar onion, garlic and chives. All members of this genus are edible. All parts of the plants are edible. The flowers tend to have a stronger flavour than the leaves and the young developing seed-heads are even stronger. We eat the leaves and flowers mainly in salads. The leaves can also be cooked as a flavouring with other vegetables in soups, etc. Also edible are chive and garlic blossoms.
Bee Balm - (also called Bergamot, Monarda) Wild bee balm tastes like oregano and mint but isn’t found around our region. The taste of hybridized bee balm is reminiscent of citrus with soft mingling of lemon and orange. The red flowers have a minty flavor. Any place you use oregano, you can use bee balm blossoms. The leaves and flower petals can also be used in both fruit and regular salads. The leaves taste like the main ingredient in Earl Gray Tea.
Borage – Borage has lovely cornflower blue star-shaped flowers. Blossoms have a cool, cucumber taste. Wonderful in punches, lemonade, gin and tonics, sorbets, chilled soups, and dips. Or dust them with sugar for a great garnish.
Calendula – Calendula is a wonderful edible flower, ranging from spicy to bitter, tangy to peppery. Their sharp taste resembles saffron (also known as poor man’s saffron). Sprinkle on soups, pasta or rice dishes, herb butters, and salads. Petals add a yellow tint to soups, spreads and scrambled eggs.
Carnations – You can steep in wine, candy or use as cake decoration. To use the surprisingly sweet petals in desserts, cut them away from the bitter white base of the flower. Dianthus are the miniature members of the carnation family with light clove-like or nutmeg scent. Petals add color to salads or aspics. Carnation petals are one of the secret ingredients that has been used to make Chartreuse, a French liqueur, since the 17th century.
Day Lilies - Slightly sweet with a mild vegetable flavour, like sweet lettuce or melon. Great to stuff like squash blossoms or sprinkle the large petals in a spring salad. NOTE:  Many lilies contain alkaloids and are not edible. Day lilies may act as a laxative.
Herbs – all of the common herbs have edible flowers. Many taste like a stronger version of the leaves. Use along with leaves of the plant they way you use the leaves or separate the flowers and use as a garnish. Always check a reliable herb reference book if you are unsure of non-common varieties, to ensure their flowers are edible too.
Johnny Jump Ups and Pansies – Their blooms have a mild wintergreen flavour and can be used in salads, to decorate cakes or served with soft cheese. They are also a great addition to drinks, soups, desserts or salads. Sugar coat to use as a fantastic garnish.
Lilacs - The flavour of lilacs varies from plant to plant, as they are very perfumed but slightly bitter, with a distinct lemony taste with floral, pungent overtones. Great in salads.
Nasturtiums - Come in varieties ranging from trailing to upright and in brilliant sunset colors with peppery flavours. Nasturtiums rank among most common edible flowers. Blossoms have a sweet, spicy flavour similar to watercress. Stuff whole flowers with savoury mousse, use entire flowers to garnish platters. Leaves add peppery tang to salads. Pickled seed pods are a less expensive substitute for capers.
Pea Blossoms - NOTE: Flowering ornamental sweet peas are poisonous. Edible garden peas bloom mostly in white, but may have other pale coloring. The blossoms are slightly sweet and crunchy and they taste like peas. The shoots and vine tendrils are edible, with a delicate, pea-like flavour. Here again, remember that harvesting blooms will diminish your pea harvest, so you may want to plant extra.
Roses - All roses are edible, with the flavour being more pronounced in the darker varieties and dependent on soil conditions. The flavour is reminiscent of strawberries and green apples. Miniature varieties can garnish ice cream and desserts or larger petals can be sprinkled on desserts or salads.
Scented Geraniums - The flower flavour generally corresponds to the variety. They come in fragrances from citrus and spice to fruits and flowers, and usually in colors of pinks and pastels. Sprinkle them over desserts and in refreshing drinks or freeze in ice cubes. NOTE: The citronella variety may not be edible.

Squash Blossoms - Squash and pumpkin blossoms are edible and taste mildly of raw squash. Prepare the blossoms by washing and trimming the stems and remove the stamens.

Sunflower - The flower is best eaten in the bud stage when it tastes similar to artichokes and can be prepared by steaming like artichokes. Once the flower opens, the petals may be used like chrysanthemums, the flavour is distinctly bittersweet.
Tulips - Flavour varies from tulip to tulip, but generally the petals taste like sweet lettuce, fresh baby peas or a cucumber-like texture and flavour. NOTE:   Some people have had strong allergic reactions to them. If touching them causes a rash, numbness etc., don’t eat them and don’t eat the bulbs ever.