From teas to casseroles, certain flowers have been on man's dinner table throughout history. Archaeologists have even found evidence that flowers were part of prehistoric man's diet. The Romans, the Chinese and even the Victorians embraced the beauty and culinary marvels flowers could offer. You can wow modern crowds with a little research and careful selection of just the right flower to serve in a gastronomic coup.
Day lilies, cornflowers, begonias, hibiscus, lilacs, marigolds and more will soon be dressing your landscape, but some could have them dressing their dinner table as well. Edible flowers are everywhere in our gardens, but to take advantage of their culinary attributes one needs to educate themselves.
The first and most important rule is to understand not every flower is safely consumable. Some can really make you sick, and some are not recommended if you have certain conditions like asthma, allergies or hay fever. With all the resources available to an individual today doing your homework as to the characteristics of a certain flower is not a difficult task. In short don't sample something and then research it - research it first and then sample knowing its makeup.
As you plan your edible garden, ready the space as if you would any other garden area making sure the soil is ready and in a sunny well-drained location. Try to plan it in a convenient location close to the kitchen if possible. Choose your flowers so that you have an edible blooming from spring through fall. Annuals are good from May to October, but your perennials usually have a particular time to bloom and then they fade.
If you are going to use flowers in your favorite recipes forgo using pesticides and other chemicals in the garden. Only harvest flowers where you can confirm their growth history. Just because its growing wild beside the road doesn't mean it hasn't had something dumped on it as it grew out of the soil. The best advice is it's always better to be safe than sorry, so choose a well known organically grown flower.
When you first select flowers for your favorite recipes - whether it be a salad or a soup - use them sparingly to see how their taste adds to your dish. The flowers usually have a similar but spicier taste than the leaf of the same plant, and you can add more next time if you so desire. As you use flowers in your recipes realize that sometimes the center or stamen can offer a bitter taste, so remove them. Again do your homework so you will know what parts of the flower are best to use. For example, all parts of the honeysuckle are edible but with roses and chrysanthemums only the petals are consumable.
As you go about harvesting your pretties for the day's salad, plan to pick in the morning or evening. The best time is morning after the dew has evaporated and the blossoms are cool. Choose only the best perfect blossoms, store them in a plastic container in the fridge, and gently wash them just before adding them to your recipe.
See the article here:
Edible flower garden takes research, planning - Huntington Herald Dispatch
