Edible flowers have gained popularity over the years and are often seen garnishing a special dessert or sprinkled on salads in high-end restaurants Squash blossoms, calendula petals and nasturtiums are probably the most familiar but I was surprised to learn just how many of our common blossoms are edible and the wide range of ways they can be incorporated into our daily diet.
As I look around our little half acre I see many culinary possibilities. This spring I fell in love with flower jellies and made countless jars of lilac and rose jelly. It feels quite decadent to assemble cream cheese and lilac sandwiches for those end-of-June school lunches when the kids are as sick of eating peanut butter and fruit jam.
A tea of Lady’s Mantle, raspberry leaf and rose petals soothes the soul and calms the belly and don’t forget about rose hips. They are extremely high in vitamin C and can be boiled to make a nutritious and delicious syrup.
The leaves and flowers of Bee Balm (Bergamot) can be dried to make Oswego Tea, a drink that the First Nations shared with settlers in Colonial times. It’s also delicious as a pot herb, with an oregano-like flavour and can be used in soups , stews and sauces. I recently combined bee balm, lovage and garlic scapes for a unique jam with limitless uses.
Day lilies can be stuffed with cream cheese and herbs, battered and fried for a delightful appetizer or side dish. Borage leaves have a delicate cucumber flavour and the beautiful blue blossoms are a lovely addition to salads.
I’ve recently learned that the entire sunflower plant is edible. The young shoots can be thinned and enjoyed raw, the leaves can be boiled, steamed or lightly fried, the stalks of younger plants can be peeled and chopped for salads, stir fries and veggie plates. Unopened young buds can be boiled or steamed and eaten with butter and salt, they apparently resemble artichokes and I can’t wait to try this. Sunflower petals will add a bittersweet flavour to your meal and, last but not least, the well known sunflower seeds can be eaten fresh, roasted or pressed for oil. All that from one plant!
These are just a few of the many edible species available and hopefully you have been inspired to try something new. A parting word of caution though, please do your research before consuming a new plant as there are many poisonous varieties around us. Lupine, foxglove, lily of the valley and iris are just a few that are extremely toxic and should only be enjoyed in a garden or vase — never on your plate!
