Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Edible flowers

I was wondering which of the flowers in my garden were edible and so I did what I normally do when I'm wondering something and googled it. It turns out that many of the flowers in my garden are edible and I was actually surprised by a couple of them. I went around tasting flowers this afternoon and some of them are quite good.

Viola or Johnny Jump Ups are edible and very pretty. They don't taste like much but can be used as a nice garnish

Fuschias are edible, the flower is pretty but doesn't have a whole lot of flavor 
The berry on top of the fuschia flower will get plump and turn dark purple and those really are tasty; sweet with a little zip.


Rose petals are edible and have a nice sweet taste to them

One benefit to not pruning your roses regularly is mature rose hips
These rose hips are not quite mature, they should be darker orange than this. When they are mature, they are a fantastic source of nutrients including one of the best sources of vitamin C on the planet. Depending on how many you have, you can make jam with them or just a simple tea. 

Lavender can be used as a pretty garnish or even to add flavor to savory dishes

Begonias surprised me, I did not know they are edible or how tasty they are. They have nice a citrus zip to them

These nasturtiums don't have flowers yet but they are edible too, they have a peppery flavor that is great on salads

Scented geranium flowers are also edible.
I didn't know that scented geranium flowers have the same taste as the scent they provide. I can't even attest to that personally but according to my reading they do. I have to wait for my scented geraniums to bloom but I can't wait to taste the ginger scented one. 

I did not get certified to sell all of these flowers so we won't have edible flowers at the market anytime soon but I'm going to make an effort to enjoy them more myself and I'll get them certified next year when we go through the process again.
Gidget says, "Flowers? Seriously? I am not eating no stinking flowers!"

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