Edible flowers can add variety to meals in an interesting way, adding colour, intriguing flavour and a certain dose of extravagance. Some of them have a pungent flavour,
while others have a typical floral and aromatic flavour.
Flowers make tasty and healthy food ingredients. Edible flowers are not only fashionable decorations, but also a rich source of vitamins,
microelements and beneficial phytoncides, fibre and essential oils. See what types of edible flowers are worth using in the kitchen.
Edible flowers should be used to make a salad, add a few to the soup, or sprinkle them on a dinner dish. Each sandwich will gain in nutritional value if you add a flowering
delicacy to it. Edible flowers can be pickled and with pickles you would enjoy the aroma of summer in the middle of winter. Homemade pesto can be made from many edible flowers.
Flowers of wild rose, elderberry, black locust and field poppy, in turn, are ingredients of delicious preserves.
Basil - flowers come in a variety of colours, from white to pink, to lavender. The taste is similar to the leaves, but milder.
Wild Bergamot - Red flowers have a mint flavour.
Garden pansy - The petals have a slightly vague flavour, but if you eat the whole flower, you will feel more of a mild taste. A good addition to cheeses and salads.
Chrysanthemum - A little bitter petals. They come in all the colours of the rainbow and the range of flavours is wide - from peppery to spicy. Only petals should be used.
Zucchini and Pumpkin - The flowers of both are wonderful stuffing "vessels", each with a delicate flavour. Before use, you need to remove the stamens.
Garlic - All flowers of the allium family (onion, garlic, leek, chives) are edible and very aromatic. The flavours range from a delicate leek to a strong, strong garlic. Each part of these plants is as edible as possible.
Chicory - The light, bitter earthiness of chicory is visible in its petals and buds, which can be marinated successfully
Purple Angelica - Depending on the variety, the flowers range in colour from light purple to deep pink. They have a licquorice flavour.
Hyssop - Both flowers and leaves have a subtle anise or licquorice aroma
Wild Violets - They are floral, sweet and beautiful as ornaments. Flowers can be used in salads and as decorations for desserts and drinks.
Violet Tricolour (Johnny Jump-Up) - Wonderful and delicious, the flowers have a subtle mint flavour, great for salads, pasta, fruit and drinks.
Arugula - The flowers are small with dark centres and a peppery flavour that resembles leaves.
Cloves - The petals are sweet when detached from the base. The flowers taste like their sweet, fragrant aroma.
Borage - the flowers have a beautiful blue hue and taste like a cucumber.
Calendula - A wonderful flower to eat, the most common calendula flowers are peppery, spicy and spicy. In addition, their vivid golden colour will add a pinch of panache to any dish.
Chamomile - Small and daisy-like. Its flowers have a sweet flavour and are often used in tea. Allergy sufferers must be careful because they may be more prone to chamomile allergy.
Citrus fruits (orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit, kumquat) - Citrus flowers are sweet and strongly fragrant. For this reason, they must be used sparingly, otherwise the dish may be too aromatic.
Clover - The flowers are sweet with a hint of licorice.
Fennel - flowers are sweet with a subtle licorice flavour, just like the herb itself.
Hibiscus - Hibiscus, popular in tea, has a lively and tart cranberry flavour, so flakes should be used sparingly.
Impatiens - flowers have a sweet taste - best used as a nice addition or product for candying.
Jasmine - These very fragrant flowers are used as an addition to teas. You can also use them in sweet dishes, but sparingly.
Lavender - Sweet, spicy and fragrant flowers are a great addition to spicy and sweet dishes or homemade ice cream.
Lemon verbena - tiny whitish flowers resembling lemon - are great for tea and desserts.
Lily - The flowers are sharp, but the floral citrus aroma also gives its flavour.
Mint - The flowers are just mint. Their intensity varies depending on the variety.
Nasturtium - One of the most popular edible flowers. The beautifully coloured petals have a sweet, floral aftertaste with a spicy, pepper finish.
Oregano - The flowers are a nice, subtle version of the leaf.
Radishes - The variegated radish flowers have a distinct, peppery flavour.
Rose - First you need to remove the white, bitter base. The remaining petals have a highly perfumed flavour, perfect for swimming in drinks or decorating desserts and as an addition to a variety of jams. All roses are edible and the flavour is more pronounced in the darker varieties.
Linden - Small flowers, white and yellow, are wonderfully fragrant and have a taste similar to honey. Flowers have been used in tea as medicine in the past.
Rosemary - The flowers taste like a milder version of the herb.
Sage - The flowers have a subtle flavour similar to the leaves.
Sunflower - The flakes can be eaten and the bud`s can be steamed like an artichoke.
Mallow rose (Hollyhock) - Very sweet taste.
Cornflower- A sweet-to-spicy clove-like flavour.
Edible flowers are always best planted and then harvested in your own garden. Then we can be sure that they were not, for example, sprinkled with nutrients or
fertilized. Such, unfortunately, can often be found in garden stores and in city flower beds. Also, do not pick flowers growing by the roads - they can be very polluted.
The plants we eat must be healthy, clean, and without any damage. It is best to put them in a linen bag after picking.
The flowers should always be washed under running water. And it's ready! Now you can add them to your dishes. The fresh ones are the best, but dried flowers will also
work.
How to dry them?
We spread the flowers on a linen cloth and leave them in a warm place with access to air. When they are dry, you can store them in a paper bag.
We eat flowers in small, reasonable amounts - unfortunately, some of them can cause allergies.
It might seem that eating flowers is completely safe, but unfortunately it can end in illness. Not every flower, no matter how beautiful is edible, can be deadly. Don't worry, follow these tips, you'll be fine:
*Eat flowers that you know are safe to eat - consult your textbook on edible flowers and plants if you are unsure.
*Eat flowers that you have grown yourself or know are safe to eat. Flowers from florists or nurseries have likely been treated with pesticides or other chemicals.
*Do not eat roadside flowers or those collected in public parks. In both cases, plants can be treated with pesticides or herbicides, and roadside flowers can be contaminated with car exhaust fumes.
*Eat only the petals - remove the pistils and stamens before eating.
*If you suffer from allergies, introduce edible flowers gradually as they can exacerbate allergic reactions.
*To keep the flowers fresh, place them on damp paper towels and refrigerate in an airtight container. Some can survive for up to 10 days this way.
*Always remember to use flowers sparingly in your recipes because of the food complications that can occur with high consumption. Most herbal flowers have a leaf-
like but more spicy flavour.
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