I grew up in a city. Eating weeds and flowers wasn't recommended. That all changed when I moved to our land. I love discovering what's edible right outside my back door. Everything from dandelions greens to pansies are incorporated into our meals. I get so excited each spring when I can start eating flowers again! How can you not feel like a fairy princess when your food is decorated with pretty petals?
I've planted 4 different lilac bushes over the years and look forward to their intoxicating fragrance each May, but I didn't know until last night that I could eat them! Thanks to my California cousin on instagram, I am sprinkling them on everything- thanks Willow!
Here are some of my other favorite edible flowers:
- dandelions
- lavender
- violets
- pansies
- chive blossoms
- marigolds
- nasturtiums
- bee balm
- borage
- sweet rocket
Do you eat flowers? What are your favorites?
I love all of these and also calendula, English daisies , pinks, mallow, rose petals and delicious squash blossoms:)
ReplyDeleteI didn't know lilac blossoms were edible. Your ice cream looks extra-delicious with blossoms.
ReplyDeleteI love the peppery taste of nasturtiums, and the way their color lights up a salad! These photos make me long for when the lilacs bloom here in Vermont. It will be a while yet...
ReplyDeleteI have never eaten flowers *gasp!* I remember when I was little mom tried to put pansies (maybe) in a salad and I refused to eat them because you don't eat flowers! I do have a few recipes involving dandelions but I have not had the motivation to go harvesting this year so far. I have my sister excited for the fritter recipe, though, so maybe when she comes back we can have a go at it. I need to do some research on these others, though, and see what I can grow here. I hate growing flowers because of the "form over function" aspect of it but if they are edible flowers than I can have pretty as well as tasty. Yay!
ReplyDeleteThe other day we made summer rolls with redbuds, dandelions, violets, and chive blossoms. My daughter loved that she could see the beautiful color through the rice paper. So good!
ReplyDeleteI don't eat flowers I have a dog LOL Beautiful pictures!
ReplyDeleteArtichokes, actually. But once our local ice cream parlour had a variety of violet ice cream which was divine.
ReplyDeleteOut of the garden, I like chives and nasturtium blossoms very much. I haven't tried pumpkin or zucchini blossoms (battered and deep-fried), but I'd love to try...
I did not know lilacs were edible either! I really miss them; we don't grow them here in Hawaii. Bet you could eat those lovely tiny flowers on the creeping rosemary and on basil, too. hmmm brain is percolating now!
ReplyDeleteWhat?! Lilacs are one of my very favorites--so lovely and such an intoxicating fragrance, but I had NO IDEA you could eat them!! Wow! Thanks for sharing this tidbit!!
ReplyDeletewe love calendula, borage, and most of all... nasturtiums. Red Bud blossoms were a favorite, this year... and violets... oh, I guess it's hard to choose a favorite! We love to eat flowers around here, too!
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