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I usually go for the male flowers as well - you can theoretically remove just the flower from the budding zucchini and not affect the fruit, but I've never been able to - I always end up ripping the blossom to shreds or snapping the baby zucchini.
Don't wash the flowers after you harvest, but use a damp paper towel to wipe the insides out - ants love to hide in there. If you want to wash them before you eat, rinse the plant with a hose about an hour before you pick the flowers. Rinsing after harvest makes them mushy and/or rips them.
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re: Teraesa22
Cheese Boy
Jun 22, 2011 07:32 PM
This blogger tells it best w/ close-ups and everything.
Look ---> http://www.mamasemptynest.com/?p=1873
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re: Teraesa22
Most likely - but don't pick all of them if you want any zucchini- the male pollen is how the females grow the fruit. (which I'm sure you know from biology 101, but I got overly zealous about my first ever blossoms, plucked them all, then couldn't figure out how I'd "killed" such a healthy looking plant. *facepalm*)
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re: thursday
Yes... I usually start plucking blossoms once I'm sick if the ludicrous amounts of zucchini the plants produce. Once you've hit "zucchini pancakes" in your cookbook, it's time for blossoms.
Also, am I the only one who simply uses a dash of quality oil and sea salt? I like the toothsome quality of the blossom on its own.
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You can use either flower type for eating.
The female type is good because it has that little zucchini attached, but I honestly don't want to waste the zucchini all the time, so I usually go for the male flower.I like to mix up some soft goat cheese, a little ricotta, and some wild fennel pollen and stuff that into the flowers before frying.
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Just fry them in a tempura batter. We usually stuff ours with either ricotta and lemon or goat cheese, chives, or whatever. Delicious!
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Good question! I have heard about frying them but have never had them. I will have to do some searches about about info/recipes because it sounds like fun and I think I have a bunch of male flowers that I could use. Thanks for the question Teraesa22 and thanks for the link Cheese Boy!
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Cheese Boy
Jun 19, 2011 11:00 PM
Here's a picture that will help you distinguish between male and female squash blossoms. The male has a very thin stem beneath its flower. The female however, has a thick stem (which really isn't a stem at all but rather the beginnings of a zucchini) beneath its flower.
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There are male and female blossoms; I am pretty sure it's the female ones that develop in to the squash, so you only want to pick the male ones for cooking with, but darned if I can remember at this hour how to tell them apart!!
I buy mine at the farmer's mkt sometimes with a baby zucchini already growing and attached to the end of the blossom. It makes a great handle for battering and frying! If no one else can help before I go again, I will try and ask the farmer there how to tell them apart.
