Did you know that Zucchini and Squash blossoms are edible? How about Culinary Sage (Salvia officinallis) blossoms and leaves?
Many garden flowers and plants are edible—day lily, nasturium, dandelion, begonia, calendula, and of course many herbs like thyme, dill, cilantro, chives, anise, garlic, fennel, lavender and basil.
Before you add edible flowers to your menu, get a good book on edible flowers, check with your local garden center expert or do your research online. Not all are edible and some can make you very sick. Make sure no chemicals or pesticides have been used, use plants from gardens or markets you trust, and be sure to eat ONLY the edible parts.
What do you plant specifically for eating the blossoms or leaves?I love zucchini blossoms.
photo courtesy of GoldielocksGrinds.wordpress.com
Growing up, my Italian grandmother and mother would make pan-fried zucchini blossoms for us.
Get a complete list of edible flowers AND the ones to avoid.
Learn more about growing edible things in your garden at Birds and Blooms.
{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
I love the idea of using edible flowers to jazz up a dish. I researched gardening bed & breakfasts and a few of them grew edible flowers for this very reason–the dishes looked great!
It makes them look very appetizing!
This spring I learned how tomake dandelion blossom fritters, and they are delicious!!! Just pick as many of the dandelion blossoms as you want as soon as they open up.
Just dip them, after cleaning of course, in a fritter batter. I used flour, milk and egg. Just saute in oil until brown and turn. Just takes a couple of minutes. The kids loved them, too. They aren’t bitter. You can either salt and peper them, or dust them with confectioners sugar. Best eaten warm.
I don’t use pesticides on my lawn and we have tons of dandelions in the spring, so I’m glad I finally found a use for them!
Too funny! That’s great, Michelle. I’ve never tried them…would have guessed them to be bitter. Sounds like they can be battered much like the zucchini blossoms. I’ll have to try it next spring. Thanks, Paula
That’s a great idea,but are the taste of some of the flowers going to be appealing? Its also great to know these things incase your ever lost in the woods and need something to eat!
Some of the herb flowers taste much like the herb itself only more delicate. As for other flowers, we’ll have to try them and see. I’ve only been brave enough to try a few! If you plan on foraging somewhere other than home, be very careful what you pick to eat; so many wild things can be poisonous. But if you’re lost long enough, you might try just about anything. LOL
I made a beautiful dish edged with edible, white Yucca Flower and Day Lilies, atop dandilion leaves. I added chopped yellow, orange, red pepper and an onion to a three beans salad, which I used to fill the center of the plate. Of course it was so colorful I had to take photos. The combonation was colorful, deliscious and healthy.
both flowers cand be used in omelets, stir fries and soups. Who needs a vegie garden.
Love it! Thanks, c. Great ideas for more ways to use edible flowers.
I found a wonderful poster – depicting edible Flowers – mostly Perreninal. It is what got me started. Other cultures have been using them as a food source for years.
I picked up a deck of cards of both piosonous and edible plants. It’s nice to have with you, when trail hiking in the woods.
Good idea to have something with you that would tell you what’s safe to eat!
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