Consider Edible Flowers For Your Garden

Consider Edible Flowers For Your Garden It’s rare these days that a flower finds its way to a plate. That’s unfortunate, as flowers have been a part of human diets for thousands of years. Today, chefs are incorporating flowers into their dishes, and home cooks are catching up fast. Edible flowers can be used to decorate cakes, add a splash of color to salads, frozen into ice cubes, dried into tea, and even preserved into jelly. However, not all varieties taste good enough to earn their place. Here are eight unexpectedly delicious flowers to experiment with in the kitchen this year. First on the list are squash blossoms. They’ve long been prized in Italian cuisine and are delicious fried, stuffed, baked and incorporated into pasta dishes. It’s best to use the blossoms the same day you pick them, but beware, every harvest will sacrifice the plant’s potential for squash. Next are roses, grown for their saturated colors and intense aromas. The flavor might be more subdued than the scent, though varieties can range from sweet to spicy. Seek out darker petals for the strongest flavor. They hold up well frozen into ice cubes, churned into ice cream, or added to frosting for cakes and cupcakes. Chives are a versatile herb, and there’s no need to worry if yours have flowered. The plant’s sharp bite is preserved within the round, purple flowers, making them an excellent addition to salads, potato dishes and soup. Nasturtiums remain a popular choice as an edible flower. With lily pad-like leaves and vibrant flowers in an array of colors, it’s as gorgeous in a decorative planter as on your dinner plate. The entire plant is edible, with a strong, peppery bite. You can even use the seeds as a substitute for capers. An annual across most of the world, nasturtium is easy to grow from seed, especially when soaked first to improve germination. Wild violets produce small, delicate flowers that add elegance to any dish. Candied (sugared) violets have been popular in France for over a century and make an eye-catching ornament on cakes and cookies. Marigolds, valued as a garden pest deterrent, offer sunny colors and a bitter tang, making them a great substitute for tarragon. Remove the white portion at the end of each petal, and the flowers make for a refreshing tea. While most gardeners know the hack of transforming cilantro into coriander, fewer realize that its flowers are also edible. They add an understated citrus flavor to any dish, making them a good addition to salads and Mexican cooking. Finally, lavender is making a splash in the culinary world, and for a good reason. The flowers have an intensely sweet flavor that stands out in scones, teas, and even salads. It’s a hardy perennial, so with luck, you’ll be finding uses for your lavender flowers for years to come. Regarding harvesting, it’s good form to ask permission before picking flowers from someone’s yard. Likewise, consider asking about spraying habits—you wouldn’t want to make a salad from wild violets that were recently laced with Roundup. For this same reason, it’s best to avoid roadside flowers or those grown by garden centers. Grow your own, if possible, to both control the amendments used and enjoy a beautiful yard.

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