Edible Flowers

Many blooms are pretty enough to eat!

by Tom Hewitt

Using flowers for culinary purposes dates back thousands of years.  Edible flowers were especially popular during the Victorian Age, and remain a staple in Middle Eastern cooking today.  But for some reason, most Americans are still reluctant to use them. Edible flowers aren’t meant to be consumed in large quantities.  In fact, I use them mainly for decoration.  One exception is nasturtiums.  I love adding them to salads for extra flavor and color.  Both leaves and flowers have a sweet, spicy flavor similar to watercress, and blooms stuffed with cream cheese and herbs make a delicious appetizer.

Common sense is key when it comes to edible flowers.  Eat only those that you know are safe.  Never eat flowers from a florist, or those picked from the side of the road, as they may have been sprayed with chemicals.  Lastly, if you suffer from hay fever, asthma or allergies, eating edible flowers could possibly trigger a reaction.

I only use flowers from my own garden.  I pick them as needed, harvesting them early in the day if I need a lot.  My favorite medium for storing them is lightweight plastic containers that gourmet lettuce comes in.  I put a moist paper towel in the bottom, and petals stay fresh for up to 10 days.  If they go limp, I just float them in icy water for a few minutes.  You can also keep whole flowers fresh by placing them in a glass of water in the fridge overnight.

Most edible flowers have a subtle taste, but things like cake frostings have a tendency to make anything taste delicious.  The same is true of salad dressings.  Just remember to remove pistils and stamens, using just the petals of most flowers.  (Pansies, violas and Johnny-jump-ups are the exception, since the entire flower adds flavor.)

You can use fresh flowers (or petals) to decorate cakes, or make candied flowers by painting them with beaten egg whites and sprinkling with fine sugar.  Let them dry at room temperature until brittle to the touch, then apply them to frosting.

Most of my favorite edible flowers are annuals.  Along with my beloved nasturtiums, these include pansies, calendulas and carnations.  Calendula blooms have a taste similar to saffron, and is even called “poor man’s saffron.”  They can add a yellow tint to soups, spreads and scrambled eggs.  Sprinkle dried petals in soups, pasta or rice dishes for color.

Carnation blooms are great for garnishing.  Just remember to cut petals away from the bitter white base of the flower.  I do the same with chrysanthemums, marigolds and ‘Louis Philippe’ roses.  Make sure whatever blooms you use are actually edible, as most people automatically assume anything on a plate is safe to consume.

The flowers of most herbs have a taste that’s similar to the leaf.  Again, don’t automatically assume the blooms of every herb are edible.  My favorites include garlic chives, anise hyssop, basil, borage, fennel, lavender, marjoram, mint, oregano, rosemary, sage and thyme. 

Herb flowers add a bit of color (and flavor) to spreads, butters or seasoning combos.  Two tablespoons of lavender blooms folded into a stick of softened butter makes a tasty spread for scones or biscuits.  You can also add a bit of honey for more sweetness.

Basils have some of the most flavorful flowers of all.  Try adding the blooms of ‘African Blue’ basil to sour cream for baked potatoes.  I also use entire stems (flowers and all) for flavoring oils and vinegars.  The flowers of lemon basil make a delicious tea, and the blooms of most any basil give a nice kick to salads.

The blooms of scarlet runner beans are very tasty and can add brilliant color to soups and salads.  You can also eat the young pods.  Elderberry blooms are also quite tasty, and have a pleasant scent.  Don’t wash them, however, as this may reduce their fragrance and flavor.  (Note: elderberries themselves are toxic unless cooked.)

There are literally hundreds of scented geraniums (Pelargonium spp.) on the market today, but I like using the blooms of lemon and rose-scented varieties in particular for garnishing cakes and other desserts.  It’s important to note that not all varieties of scented geraniums have a pleasant taste.

The blooms of pineapple sage (Salvia elegans) make a nice garnish, as do mint stems containing flowers, especially in iced teas.  In other words, the sky’s the limit when it comes to using edible flowers, as long as you use common sense and pick the right ones. 

Tom Hewitt is a garden designer and consultant from West Palm Beach.  

© 2020 Tom Hewitt.  All rights reserved.