Edible Beauty

Edible flowers are showing up everywhere. You will find them on blogs, in grocery stores, and on your plate in restaurants. They are showing up in your cocktails and on your eggs. But are all those blooms safe to eat? You may want to take heed on what you consume or you may be pushing up daisies. (Pun intended.)

Flowers are plant organs that attract pollinating animals with a strong scent, bright colors, or both. (1) Many of you love to hate a very common edible flower: broccoli. The little buds on top of the common variety of the plant are immature flowers. Leave them in your refrigerator, and they may bloom into a small yellow blossom. 

Before you go and raid your neighbor's flower bed, keep in mind that the ornamental variety of flowers are not necessarily edible. Heading to your local supermarket and buying a bouquet of flowers is not a good idea. These flowers have been treated with pesticides and are not meant for culinary use. Also, some flowers are treated with dye to make the blossoms more vibrant. You only want to buy flowers that are labeled edible or for culinary use only.

These varieties of flowers are edible: (2)

Apple

Banana

Begonia

Celosia

Chrysanthemum

Citrus

Daylily

Elderflower

Gardenia

Geranium

Herbs (chive, rosemary, lavender)

Hibiscus

Jasmine

Lilac

Lotus

Marigold

Nasturtium

Orchids

Pear

Peony

Redbud

Rose

Squash

Tulip

Violet

The best way to source flowers is to find a grower who can certify that their blossoms are edible, or grow them yourself from the properly sourced seeds.

Happy cooking my foodie best friends! May your days be flavorful!

Chef Angie

(1,2) McGee, Harold On Food and Cooking, The Science and Lore of the Kitchen; Scribner, 1984, 2004 pp.326