When you fix that healthy salad make add fresh herbs and colorful flowers!
Edible Flowers: Violet, Nasturtium, Pansy, Calendula, French Marigold, Bee Balm, Squash blossoms,
Day lilies, Borage, Thyme, Oregano, Honey suckle, Rose, Lavender, Jasmine, Sage, chamomile, Primrose, Orange,
Apple, Pinks, Carnation, Mint, Thyme, clover, chervil, chrysanthemums, dandelion, daylillies, roses, hyacinths,
gladiolas, hollyhocks,impatiens, lilac, Chive, Red runner bean. The blossoms of chive, garlic, and pea are also edible.
Sprinkle flowers on salads or use as garnishes. Steep flower petals in vinegar 3 weeks for a floral-infused
vinegar for salad dressings. Stir chopped petals into softened butter for a colorful spread. Large squash
blossoms can be dipped in a batter and fried, or stuffed and baked.
*Only eat flowers or anything for that matter that you know are safe and free of herbicides and pesticides.
Most herbs in the garden have flowers that are beautiful, colorful and edible with a mild taste similar to that of the leaves.
To keep flowers fresh, place them on moist paper towels and refrigerate in an airtight container. Some will last up to 10 days this way. Ice water can revitalize limp flowers. The following is a list of edible flowers:
1. Allium blossoms (leeks, chives, garlic, garlic chives) are edible and flavorful! Every part of these plants is edible.
2. Angelica flowers range from pale lavender-blue to deep rose and have a licorice-like flavor.
3. Anise hyssop flowers and leaves have a subtle anise or licorice flavor.
4. Arugula blossoms are small with dark centers and a peppery flavor like the leaves. They range in color from white to yellow with dark purple streaks.
5. Bachelor’s button is grassy in flavor, the petals are edible. Avoid the bitter calyx.
6. Basil blossoms come in a variety of colors, from white to pink to lavender; flavor is similar to the leaves, but milder.
7. Bee balm red flowers have a minty flavor.
8. Borage blossoms are a lovely blue and taste like cucumber!
9. Calendula / marigold golden blossoms are peppery, tangy, and spicy.
10. Carnations / dianthus petals are sweet, once trimmed away from the base. Blossoms taste like their sweet, perfumed aroma.
11. Chamomile’s small and daisylike flowers have a sweet flavor and are often used in tea. Ragweed sufferers may be allergic to chamomile.
12. Chervil has delicate blossoms and flavor, which is anise-tinged.
13. Chicory has a mildly bitter earthiness evident in the petals and buds, which can be pickled.
14. Chrysanthemum is a little bitter, mums come in a rainbow of colors and a flavor range from peppery to pungent. Use only petals.
15. Cilantro – people either love the blossoms or hate them. The flowers share the grassy flavor of the herb. Use fresh as they lose their charm when heated.
16. Citrus (orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit, kumquat) blossoms are sweet and highly scented. Use frugally or they will over-perfume a dish.
17. Clover flowers are sweet with a hint of licorice.
18. Dandelion add a bright yellow to dishes
19. Dill – The yellow dill flowers taste much like the herb’s leaves.
20. English daisy – Petals are somewhat bitter — but they look great!
21. Fennel – Yellow fennel flowers have a subtle licorice flavor like the herb itself.
22. Fuchsia – Tangy fuchsia flowers make a beautiful garnish.
23. Gladiolus – Although gladioli are bland, they can be stuffed, or their petals removed for an interesting salad garnish.
24. Hibiscus, famously used in hibiscus tea, the vibrant cranberry flavor is tart and can be used sparingly.
25. Hollyhock – Bland and vegetal in flavor, hollyhock blossoms make a showy, edible garnish.
26. Impatiens flowers don’t have much flavor – best as a garnish or for candying.
27. Jasmine’s super-fragrant blooms are used in tea; you can also use them in sweet dishes, but sparingly.
28. Johnny Jump-Up’s flowers have a subtle mint flavor great for salads, pastas, fruit dishes and drinks.
29. Lavender flowers are sweet, spicy, and perfumed, and are a great addition to savory and sweet dishes.
30. Lemon Verbena – The diminutive off-white blossoms are redolent of lemon — and great for teas and desserts.
31. Lilac blooms are pungent, and the floral citrusy aroma translates to its flavor.
32. Mint – The flowers are — surprise! — minty. Their intensity varies among varieties.
33. Nasturtium is one of the most popular edible flowers. Blossoms are brilliantly colored with a sweet, floral flavor bursting with a spicy pepper finish. When flowers go to seed, the seed pod is a marvel of sweet and spicy. You can stuff flowers, add leaves to salads, pickle buds like capers, and garnish to your heart’s content.
34. Oregano flowers are a pretty, subtle version of the leaf.
35. Pansy petals are nondescript, but if you eat the whole flower you get more taste.
36. Radish flowers vary in color and have a distinctive, peppery bite.
37. Rose petals have a strongly perfumed flavor perfect for floating in drinks or scattering across desserts, and for a variety of jams. All roses are edible, with flavor more pronounced in darker varieties.
38. Rosemary flowers taste like a milder version of the herb
39. Sage blossoms have a subtle flavor similar to the leaves.
40. Squash and pumpkin blossoms are wonderful for stuffing, each having a slight squash flavor. Remove stamens before using.
41. Sunflower petals can be eaten, and the bud can be steamed like an artichoke.
42. Violets are floral, sweet and beautiful as garnishes. Use the flowers in salads and to garnish desserts and drinks.