Transcript Edible Flowers and how to use them

Families, youth, communities and businesses
benefit from
educational programs, activities, and resources
provided by
Texas A&M AGRILIFE Extension Service
organized under these program areas:
Agriculture and Natural Resources
Family and Consumer Sciences
4-H and Youth Development
Community Economic Development
Extension is a cooperative program
between Federal, State, and County governments
Edible Flowers
For North Texas
Collin County
Master Gardeners Association
History of Edible Flowers
Traditionally used in many types of cooking:
European, Asian, East Indian, Victorian,
English, and Middle Eastern
Early American settlers used flowers for food
Renewed interest in edible flowers for their
taste, color and fragrance
Ten Rules for Flower Eaters
1. Eat only those flowers you know to be safe
(some are toxic)
2. Just because flowers are on your plate,
doesn’t mean they are edible
3. Eat only flowers that have been
grown organically
4. Do not eat flowers from florists, nurseries,
garden centers, or grocery stores unless you
know they are grown organically
5. Do not eat flowers if you have hay fever,
asthma, or allergies
6. Do not eat flowers from the side of the
road; they are contaminated from auto
emissions
7. Not all flowers are edible
Some are poisonous
When in doubt, leave it out!
8. Introduce flowers into your diet the way you
would new foods to a baby; one at a time and
in small quantities
9. Eat flowers in moderation
10. Small children and pregnant women should
avoid edible flowers
Preparation
 Harvest flowers in the early morning when
their water content is at its highest
 Gently washing in a bowl of water should
flush out insects
 Remove pistils, stamens and the bitter white
base of the petals
 Store in damp paper towels in refrigerator
Bergamot, Bee Balm
Monarda didyma
Perennial, Full Sun to Part Shade
2 to 2-1/2’ Tall x 1’ Wide
Magenta or red spidery flowers

Part Used: Blossoms and Leaves
 Taste: Flowers are reminiscent of citrus
with a soft mingling of Lemon and Orange
 Makes a great addition to homemade teas,
tossed salads and a striking garnish for any
entree
 Used to make Oswego Tea (aka Bee Balm Tea)
2 Tablespoons Bee Balm Flowers or Leaves, chopped
4 cups Boiling Water
Steep flowers or leaves in water for five to ten minutes
Strain and serve
Borage
Borago officinalis
Re-Seeding Annual, Full Sun - Part Shade
1-3’ Tall x 1’ Wide
Cornflower blue star-shaped flowers
 Part Used: Blossoms and Leaves
 Taste: Cooling, Cucumber
 Blossoms mainly used as garnish
for chilled soups, sorbets and dips
Freeze single bloom in ice cube
Stunning topping for a Deviled egg
Fresh, young leaves are used
raw in salads and cool drinks,
or cooked with vegetables
Calendula, Pot Marigold
Calendula officinalis
Cool Season Annual, Full Sun
2’ Tall x 1’ Wide
Yellow or orange disc and ray flowers
 Part Used: Blossoms
 Taste: Sharp, Tangy, Peppery
Mildly Bitter

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Blossoms dry well
Used in soups, rice dishes,
custards, herb butters and
salads
Good substitute for (expensive)
saffron and colors cheese and
butter yellow (bruise petals for
best color)
Garnish for cakes and vegetables
Chives: Onion and Garlic
Allium schoenoprasum, A. tuberosum
Perennial, Sun to Part Shade
8-10” Tall x 6-8” Wide
Purple-Pink Frilly Flowers
(Starry White for Garlic Chives)
 Part Used: Blossoms and Leaves
 Taste: Onion or Garlic Flavor
 Mostly used for flavoring and
garnishing savory dishes, salads and
soups
Avoid eating the whole
flower; the taste can be
overwhelming
Chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemum morifolium
C. coronarium
Perennial, Sun to Part Shade
1’ Tall x 2’ Wide
Flowers in a variety of colors
and petal configurations
 Part Used: Blossoms
 Taste: Faint Pepper to Mild Cauliflower
Each variety is different, some strong and
bitter (coronarium is milder than morifolium)
 Use petals only and remove
the base
 Blanch petals before use
 Used in salads and stir fries
 Lovely garnish
Daylily
Hemerocallis spp.
Perennial, Full Sun – Part Shade
Up to 3-1/2’ Tall x 1’ Wide
Trumpet-shaped flowers in a variety of colors
 Part Used: Buds and Blossoms
 Taste: Slightly Sweet with a mild
Vegetable flavor (like sweet lettuce or
melon)
Chewable consistency
Flavor changes with blossom color
Used as garnish
in salads and soup
 In Asian dishes, Daylily
flowers are called “golden
needles” and chopped up
for use in stir fry dishes
and Asian soups

Blossoms are good stuffed
or dredged in breadcrumbs
and sautéed
Dianthus, Carnations, Pinks
Dianthus spp.
Annual/Perennial, Full Sun - Part Shade
6”-2’ Tall x 1” Wide
Frilly flowers in shades of white, pink and red
 Part Used: Blossoms

Taste: Sweet Clove

Use in candy making,
butters, marmalades,
teas, honey or as a
cake decoration
 One of the secret
ingredients
in Chartreuse
Hibiscus, Roselle
Hibiscus sabdariffa
Tender Perennial, Full Sun
6-8’ Tall x 2-4’ Wide
Exotic looking red flowers
with a large red calyx
 Part used: Blossoms and Calyx
 Taste: Cranberry-like with Citrus
Overtones
 Hawaii, South Korea and Malaysia claim
the Hibiscus as their Official National
flower
 The blossoms can be dried to make an
exotic rosy-hued tea
 Use acidic petals sparingly in salads, in
pie fillings and blended into jams and
jellies
 Use as a garnish
Lavender
Lavandula spp.
Perennial, Full Sun
2’ Tall x 2’ Wide
Spiky flowers in shades of blue and purple
 Part Used: Blossoms and Leaves
 Taste: Highly Perfumed
 Use in cookies, custards,
flans, sorbets; pairs well with
chocolate
 Lavender sugar is a special treat
 Use sparingly as the flavor is strong
Nasturtium
Tropaeolum majus
Cool Season Annual, Full Sun to Light Shade
18” Tall x Twining Climber to 3’
Cup-shaped flowers in
shades of red, yellow and orange
 Parts Used: Blossoms, Buds, Seeds, Leaves
 Taste: Spicy and Peppery
 Leaves can be used to wrap fillings
like a taco
 Add to mayonnaise, butter,
guacamole, and cream cheese
 An ingredient in flavored vinegars
 Pickled seed pods are a substitute
for capers
 Use entire flowers to
garnish platters, salads,
open faced sandwiches
and savory appetizers
Pansy
Viola x wittrockiana
Cool Season Annual, Full Sun - Part Shade
6-8” Tall x 6” Wide
Multi-lobed flowers
in assorted colors and sizes
Part Used: Blossoms
Taste: Slightly sweet,
green and grassy;
whole flower has
wintergreen overtone
 Used in salads, popsicles (flower sugar
syrup), wrap for soft cheese, pasta dishes
and filling for ravioli
 Garnish and decorate cakes
Redbud
Cercis canadensis
Tree, Full Sun to Part Shade
To 20’ Tall by 20’ Wide
Small magenta flowers appear before leaves
 Part Used: Blossoms
 Taste: Slightly Sour
and Astringent
 Used to coat soft
cheese rolls
 Use as a garnish for
baked goods and
frosted cakes
Rose
Rosa spp.
Shrub and Climbers, Full Sun
Varies by Species
Flowers in many colors and forms
 Part Used: Blossoms
 Taste: Perfumed
From Strawberries to Sour;
Depending on the Variety
 Incorporate into main dishes,
in beverages, bread, ravioli
and pasta, soup, jelly, syrups,
butter, candy and ice cream
 Used to make rose sugar and
spice blends
Sage, Pineapple Sage
Salvia officinalis, S. elegans
Annual/Perennial - Full Sun to Part Shade
Size Varies by Variety
Tube-like in Violet-Blue, Pink or White
Pineapple Sage has Vibrant Red Flowers
 Part Used: Blossoms and Leaves
 Taste: Flowers Have Same Flavor as the
Leaves
Pineapple Sage is Pineapple-Like Sweet
 Used in Bean, Corn Dishes, Stuffed
Mushrooms, Soups and Salads
 Pineapple Sage is used to flavor drinks,
teas and is a beautiful garnish
Scented Geranium, Pelargonium
Pelargonium crispum, P. graveolens,
P. odoratissimum, P. tomentosum
Tender Perennial, Full Sun to Part Shade
1-3’ Tall x 1-3’ Wide
Multi-petaled flowers in variety of colors
DO NOT eat citronella scented varieties
 Part Used: Blossoms and Leaves
 Taste: P. crispum: Lemon flavor;
P. graveolens: Rose flavor;
P. odoratissimum: Apple flavor;
P. tomentosum: Peppermint flavor
 Leaves can be pressed into baked goods
and used to flavor sugar
 Steeped in a simple sugar solution, can
be used as a base for beverages
Violet
V. odorata
Perennial, Part Shade
8-12” Tall x 8-12” Wide
Nodding flowers in lovely blue shades
 Part Used: Blossoms
 Taste: Sweet, Perfumed
 Freeze blossoms in ice cubes
 Use to make sorbets
 Embellish deserts and
adorn frosted cakes
 Look attractive in green and
potato salads
 May be crystallized
Other Edible Flowers to Investigate:
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Bachelor Buttons, Centaurea cyanus
Begonia, Begonia x tuberosa
Fuschia, Fuschia spp.
Hollyhock, Althea rosea
Impatiens, Impatiens wallerana
Johnny Jump Ups, Viola tricolor
Passionflower, Passiflora spp.
Portulaca, Portulaca oleracea
Snapdragon, Antirrhinum
majus
 Sunflower, Helianthus annuus
 Tulip, Tulipa spp.
Edible Herb Flowers:
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Anise Hyssop, Agastache foeniculum
Basil, Ocimum basilicum
Chervil, Anthriscus cerefolium
Dandelion, Taraxacum officinalis
Dill, Anethum graveolens
Elderberry, Sambucus canadensis
Fennel, Foeniculum vulgare
Lemon Verbena, Aloysia triphylla
Mint, Mentha spp.
Rosemary, Rosmarinus officinalis
Thyme, Thymus spp.
The MASTER GARDENERS PROGRAM is a
volunteer organization affiliated with
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
Master Gardeners:
• Receive training and
continuing education in horticulture
• Share their expertise
through a wide variety of projects
• Promote research-based horticultural practices
For horticulture information and services
972-548-4219 972-548-4232
http://ccmgatx.org
[email protected]
Extension programs serve people of all ages regardless of
socioeconomic level, race, color, sex, religion, disability of national
origin.
Bibliography
Barash, Cathy Wilkinson. Edible Flowers from
Garden to Plate. Fulcrum Publishing, Golden,
CO. 1993
Belsinger, Susan. Flowers in the Kitchen.
Interweave Press, Colorado. 1991
Byczynski, Lynn. The Flower Farmer. Herb
Companion, April/May 2012
Harding, Jennie. The Herb Bible, A Complete
Guide to Growing and Using Herbs. Paragon
Books, Ltd., 2004
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/hil8513.html
http://whatscookingamerica.net/Edibleflowers/Edi
bleFloursMain.htm
Lauderdale, Cyndi, Edible Flowers. NC State
University,
http://ggg.xwa.nxau.wsu/swpra/hoer/hil/
hil-8513d.html
McVicar, Jekka, Good Enough to Eat. Kyle
Cathie, Limited, London, 1997
Patton, Justine. Heart-Healthy Hibiscus. The Herb
Companion, July 2012.
Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs, Claire
Kowalchik, Willian H Hylton, Editors, Rhodale Press,
Emmaus, Pennsylvania, 1987
Schlosser, Katherine K. The Herb Society of
America’s Essential Guide to Growing and Cooking
with Herbs. Louisiana State University Press, 2007
Turner, R.G. Botanica. Barnes & Noble, Inc. 1999
(for botanical nomenclature)
Varney, Bill and Sylvia. Herbs, Growing and Using
the Plants or Romance. Ironwood Press, 1998
Varney, Bill and Sylvia. Along the Garden Path.
Favorite Recipes Press, 1995