Edible Flowers: The Joy of Flowers You Can Eat

If you'd like to add a new dimension of taste and beauty to your recipes, why not discover the pleasures of edible flowers? Certain types of flowers can be both edible and delicious. Remember the sweet nectar you sucked from the honeysuckle plant as a child? And that's only the beginning. Before eating any kind of flower, it's important that you know the flower is edible. Certain flowers are toxic and should be avoided. Here are some ideas on how to eat flowers and how to not eat flowers:

How to Eat Flowers

Edible flowers can add a touch of sweetness and color to dessert offerings. Try adding edible flower petals to cake or cookie batter or place a few colorful petals on top of a dish of vanilla ice cream. You can even make candied flowers which are the ultimate gourmet delicacy. For complete instructions on how to make candied flowers, read this article. Edible flowers also make a lovely garnish for almost any dessert. When you serve a piece of chocolate cake, sprinkle a few calendula or dianthus petals on the plate for a touch of color. Edible flowers can also be added to teas and dessert drinks for both flavor and beauty.

Add some edible flowers to your salsa mixes or add them to butter to make delicious, gourmet butters for a special occasion. Edible flowers can also be mixed with cream cheese to make cream cheese dessert balls. Edible flowers are a natural to add a touch of color to cool, fresh salads. Go a little crazy and sprinkle a variety of edible flower petals onto a freshly made omelette before serving. Flowers make beautiful garnishes for almost any meal or occasion.

How NOT to Eat Flowers

Before eating any flower, you need to be sure it's edible and nontoxic. Furthermore, in order to avoid exposure to pesticides, you should only eat edible flowers that are organically grown. Never eat flowers that you find at floral centers, nurseries, or by the side of the road. Eat the petals of the flower only. Remove the pistils and stamens before adding them to your recipes. Be sure to rinse your flower petals in cold water before serving. Even better, grow edible flowers right in your own garden.