Edible flowers

In My Humble Opinion
1

I just enjoyed a real treat: delicious battered zucchini flowers. You simply take some of the flowers, dip them in a batter made of equal parts flour and water, fry them in 350 degree oil until browned, and sprinkle with kosher salt.

Excuse me for a second. MMMMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Are there other edible flowers? I obtained these at a local farmers’ market, but I haven’t seen other flowers for sale. How about a flower salad, with a few different types–I bet you could make an astonishly beautiful meal.

2

Nasturtiums (nastursiams? I can’t spell today) are those yellow/orange/cream colored flowers on trailing vines, leaves are rounded, does this plant ring a bell?
Anyway, both flowers and leaves are edible. The leaves have a peppery taste not unlike arugula. The flowers of arugula are also edible.

There is also borage which is a beautiful true blue flower on a somewhat floppy herb. And of course lavender.
Many many herbs.
And violets. I am sure there are more but that’s all I can think of right now.

3

Here’s some

And here’s a book about edible flowers.

4

Oh, and occasionally the grocery store nearest me will sell them in the organic produce section - I’ve not actually had any, so I don’t know what kind of flowers they are or how they taste.

5

We eat many of the flowers in my in-laws’ yard.

Nasturtiums (or nasty-urchins, as we call them) are yummy and on the spicy side as Caprese described. Roses are good, they taste about the same as they smell. Day-lilies are yummy, as are pansies, bee balm, chive blossoms… I know there are others (that we’ve had from the yard), but I can’t remember more right now.

Honeysuckle is good, too. You can usually eat the blossoms of plants that you otherwise use for herbs. We usually add them to the salad, just toss 'em in with the greens, and they add nice flavor.

We have fun with guests, when we all start eating the flowers they thought were on the plate just for decoration. :slight_smile:

You need to make sure that they were grown without any pesticides on them. And wash them thoroughly, so you don’t eat bugs or cobwebs. Yech. :eek:

6

Candied violets are one of my favorite treats, and they are very easy to make.

7

Petunias from my garden are the best garnish for the incredible variety of colors. People that haven’t seen it before look flabbergasted when I reach down and pluck a freshly watered flower and pop it in my mouth.

The test is bland but the shock value is way too fun.

8

Roses. Yummy, yummy roses. When I get my ice cream machine, my first project will be figuring out how to make rose ice cream.