Please eat the daisies: 13 edible flowers you should eat but probably don't

[rworange]

Yep, I know this is so out of season, but while looking up info for scarlet runner beans, I found out the blossoms can be eaten and ran across this site with a list ...according to them ...of the best edible flowers
http://www.dietcrusher.com/13-edible-flowers-eat/

Bee balm
Calendula
Daylilies
Hollyhocks
Lavender
Marigolds
Nasturtiums
Pansies
Roses
Scarlet runner bean
Sunflowers
Squash blossoms
Violets

While I've had lavender, marigolds, nastriums, roses, pansies, violets and squash blossoms, I never considered flowers like daylilies. Hollyhocks always had that look about them that they would kill you if nibbled.

Then I started thinking about the taste of some of these flowers and the best way to use them. At the bottom of the above link was another that has a table of edible flowers, the suggested way to use them and how they TASTE.
http://www.learningherbs.com/edible_flower_recipes.html

For example: Pansy - Mild sweet to tart flavor

This was another link with good info about eating flowers
http://homecooking.about.com/library/weekly/blflowers.htm

That led to a longer list of edible flowers ... and more importantly a list of poisoous flowers ... who'd guess a buttercup could kill you.Then remove butter from the name.
http://oldfashionedliving.com/edibleflowers.html
http://oldfashionedliving.com/poisonflowers.html

Now a cala lily ... I always associate them with death so thank heavens I never chewed one. Deadly nightsahde ... yep ... avoid. But daffodils, azelias, gardenias, hyacynths, irus, lily of the valley, morning glories, wisteria ... they seem so pretty and innocent. Who knew danger lurked there?

I had never considered munching on apple blossoms, daisies, gardenias, or my favorite flowers ... lilacs. I'll have to try those when they come in season.

On that list is a flower I loved as a child ... honeysuckle... they really do taste like honey. I'll bet they would be lovely added to a dessert such as chocolate ice cream.

There are also links for flower recipes whick I posted on the Home cooking board

50 Best Edible Flower Recipes Ever
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/747718

Do you have any favorite edible flowers for taste as well as color?

[DiningDiva]

Colorines are really good, they have a meaty mouthfeel, texture and even flavor. Izotes (yucca plant flowers) are pretty good too

[rworange]

Yup. Izaote have a slight artichoke flavor A post of mine from the past

It's Flor de Izote season. Grab your machete
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/294215

[girleatseverything]

when i was a kid there was a huge patch of daylillies (although we called them swamp lillies) in the neighbodhood and we would eat the pettles with a little bit of honey.

[Querencia]

My mother used to grow nasturtiums specifically to serve the leaves in thin bread-and-butter sandwiches for tea (we were living in a country where afternoon tea was a daily meal). The leaves are peppery and make a nice contrast with the bland bread and butter.

[Passadumkeg]

Be careful w/ morning glory flowers and especially the seeds, unless you feel like going on a trip. The same w/ Jimson Weed aka Sacred Dactura.

[Pat Hammond]

daylilly buds can be cooked just like okra. They're good with butter and salt and pepper.

[Glencora]

I was just about to write that I don't like the texture of daylilies. Makes sense, since I don't care for okra either. Holyhocks also have a strange texture. I like calendula and borage in salads.

[Pat Hammond]

As a kid in Maine, I remember eating very young milkweed pods, but the best were the deep fried blossoms. My grandmother made a batter and fried them up. Lovely to look at and delicious. You need to really know what you're doing and I'm sure there are recipes about how to safely prepare milkweed, since the sap will make you sick. I always looked forward to milkweed season.

[JMF]

The pods need to be blanched several times to get rid of the milky sap which is toxic. I have done it several times back when I took and taught survival classes.

[Passadumkeg]

Garlic, chive, celantro, basil and oregano flowers on salads.

[Caroline1]

Aw, come on. Now you're just showing off your green thumb! Both of mine are brown. Veeeeeery brown. <sigh> My supermarkets do not stock garlic, chive, cilantro, basil, OR oregano flowers.

[Caroline1]

Okay, I must have scanned this when I responded the first time and missed the part about gardenias being toxic. They are not, neither flowers nor leaves. At least not to humans, but they are not good for other animals. One variety of gardenia is the "jasmine" of jasmine tea. Then when I lived in the Bay Area in the '60s, I had a favorite bar on the peninsula that several of us would head for after work on Fridays... A "Hawaiian" bar with the big rattan chairs with the circular backs to them that were four or five feet across, and they had a Hawaiian beach scene mural painted on glass in back of the bar with special lighting so it went from sunset to sunset showing a whole day in about twenty minutes that was magical to watch. ANYWAY, they had this fantastic drink they called a Gardenia Cocktail that was served in a huge "champagne saucer" with a "Spanish comb" of ice that looked for all the world like a miniature Hollywood Bowl right there in your drink glass, and it had a huge fresh gardenia in it. What a GREAT drink that was because it tasted like gardenias smell! Okay, guys, so it's a "girlie drink," but WOW, was it good! And you could wear the gardenia after you drank the drink if you liked. Hey, if you had a wooden leg and could hold your liquor, you could drink yourself a lei! So I don't think gardenias are poisonous. At least I don't think I"m dead! '-)

[hill food]

was the place the bar in the Hyatt Rickey's?

[Caroline1]

Nope. I THINK the name of it was, "The Lanai." It was a "stand alone," both architecturally and hotel/motel wise and just a bit south of Belmont, but not as far as Palo Alto. I just can't remember which "burb" exactly. It was mid-60's. FUN place! Probably torn down and paved over by now, like most of "my" California! '-)

[hill food]

yeah, sad, the only place I'm really aware of that may still exist is Trad'r Sam's out on Geary near the Russian Orthodox Cathedral. although I'd bet there's something in Oakland. alas.

[Caroline1]

<sigh> I remember when Skyline Drive was a marrow 2 lane RURAL road along the crests of the hills/mountains (what you call them depends on where you're from) where you could stop almost anywhere and picnic in peace. Well, except for the deer that may want a bite of your goodies.

[Veggo]

No mention yet of hibiscus. Makes a great scarlet beverage, agua de jamaica.
Do you eat chaya where you are in Guatemala?

[rworange]

Not knowingly.

Looking at the wiki entry I don't believe I've seen that particular tree in the areas I've frequented.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaya_(p...

Can you eat the flowers?

[Veggo]

Yes but they are not often in bloom. Chaya is more of an overgrown shrub than a tree. A friend in the Yucatan had it growing all around, and would make great liquados with it and honey. Said to be healthy, too.

[Caitlin McGrath]

When I was a child, I used to suck the sweet nectar from nasturtiums growing in our backyard; now I am fond of their peppery flavor in green salads.

[Passadumkeg]

Not a flower per se, but the rose hip is utilitarian in the Nordic countries. Rose hip soup, jelly, tea, drink and wine.

[gaffk]

I had forgotten honeysuckle. Every year as a kid we spent 2 weeks in Cape May, NJ (before it was trendy). There was a honeysuckle out front . . .so good; ate it every time I entered and exited the house.

Honeysuckle and chocolate? I'm going to have to work on that recipe.

[akq]

My grandmother cooked lily buds in stirfry. Personally, it's not my favorite taste, but my grandmother loved them. It's not what you're after, but I always loved finding flowers on choy sum stalks - they were my favorite! I love rose petals - recently picked up some rose petal jelly. Also, don't forget chrysanthemums, especially for tea.

[smartie]

I had a pear martini last night with an 'edible' orchid in it. It tasted of nothing much.

[Caroline1]

I love rose petal jelly on toast or an English muffin. And I have a jar of food grade rose petals on my pantry shelf I cook with, along with lavender and... I can't remember and am too lazy to go look. Of course, I ALWAYS have rose water and orange flower water on hand. I use them in desserts and sometimes in teas. My favorite way to cook Brussels sprouts is with lavender. I miss my big spread of nasturtiums I had in California. Haven't had much luck trying to grow them in Texas. I used to use a lot of candied violets when I lived in California, but had difficulty finding them when I moved to Texas. They add a lovely touch of elegance to a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and they're fabulous sprinkled over a delicate white cake cake mounded with pale pink boiled icing served at tea! Who? ME decadent? I don't think so...! '-)

[rworange]

The idea of adding lavender to brussel sprouts seems brilliant. I'm going to have to try that.

[Caroline1]

I use it with both frozen and "fresh" Brussels sprouts. I use the quote around fresh because I really have a difficult time getting truly fresh Bs in my area. They LOOK fresh, but when I cook them they taste like old cabbage. So I added some lavender when I was cooking the next batch of "fresh" that smelled off their prime. And when I finally found some truly fresh BS, I did it again and it was even better! The lavender gentles their flavor but doesn't void it. I use about a scant teaspoon of whole lavender to a quart of Brussels sprouts, or a bag of frozen. I hope you enjoy it!

[hill food]

lavender makes sense, I put rosemary in my sprouts which is sort of related, just not a flower.

[JMF]

Red clover tempura is very tasty.

[Passadumkeg]

So is red clover and/or rose petal wine. My grandmother used to make fine dandelion wind.

[Passadumkeg]

When I taught Like Water for Chocolate, we cooked quail w/ rose petals. Opened food horizons for some.
We eat lots of batter dipped squash blossoms and nasties (leaves too) in salads.

[SmartCookie]

Nice topic - I particularly love Nastursiums which have a wonderful "horseradishy" zip to them. They are particularly good with a smoked salmon/cream cheese filling.