How to Use Edible Flowers to Elevate Your Cooking
Edible flowers are easy to grow and can add abundant flair to dishes in your culinary repertoire.
The leaves and petals of edible flowers can add a touch of elegance and whimsy to a range of different foods. Whether they serve as a delightful garnish to a dish or contribute to its core flavor profile, the right flowers can raise a dish or cocktail to the next level. Best of all: Edible flowers are easy to grow — you may already have some in your garden. Here are some of the tastiest edible petals to know and grow.
These delicate blossoms impart a bold, peppery flavor when tossed with fresh salad greens, or arranged atop a carpaccio or fresh oysters. The bright flowers grow easily in a sunny spot, and they attract beneficial pollinators like bees and butterflies. Harvest flowers just before serving for the freshest presentation and flavor.
Try topping crostini with avocado mousse and bright orange nasturtiums for a surprising welcome to guests. The colorful blossoms add panache to frittatas, pizzas, and grilled vegetables. For a culinary-forward twist, use nasturtiums to flavor savory ice cream, or serve with English peas or cold summer soup. Fish tacos have never been cheerier than when garnished with bright orange nasturtium blossoms. Its flowers and leaves are edible, so experiment with arranging a vitamin-rich mixture.
This linear purple, pink, or blue beauty has tones of mint and licorice, making it a perfect candidate for adding to desserts, vegetables, poultry, or lamb. Its leaves and flowers can be safely eaten. Anise hyssop attracts honeybees and butterflies, making it a welcome complement to your garden.
The plant may be dried hanging upside-down in a cool, dark place. Dried flowers can be steeped in tea, or infused into alcohol for a specialty cocktail that will have guests guessing the secret ingredient. Carefully remove the fresh tiny flowers from the stem, then toss onto cupcakes, panna cotta, or mascarpone gelato for a whimsical spark of flavor as well as fanciful decoration.
While some flowers are tastiest fresh from the garden, others shine brightest when incorporated into cooking. Zucchini blossoms, or courgette, with their light orange color and tubular shape, offer versatility to your menu. If you wish to grow zucchini squash, leave female flowers with their new fruit undisturbed. Use male blossoms soon after harvesting to avoid tearing. Whether arranged in a radiating pattern atop frittata, or filled with herbed ricotta, then battered and fried, these beauties add garden-fresh flavor to your menu.
These cheery annuals add a variety of colors and a mild minty flavor to mixed greens, desserts, or cheese platters. They are easy to grow, producing an abundance of blossoms. The classic pansy-topped fancy cake is always a crowd-pleaser, but creative chefs can branch out beyond the expected. Top green smoothies with pansies for added color and elegance. If you make your own pasta, try layering pansies between sheets — the fresh, floral pasta can be crafted into picture-perfect ravioli. Or line summer rolls with pansy blossoms, then roll with traditional savory ingredients. This makes a stunning display that your guests will rave about long after the party is over.
Also called starflower, these purply-blue beauties have long been used medicinally for their anti-inflammatory properties. Their vibrantly colored pointy petals can be frozen into ice cubes for a whimsical touch in lemonade or sparkling water.
They have a mild cucumber flavor and complement seafood salads, tossed baby lettuces, steamed vegetables, and even gin cocktails. This bright addition to your garden prefers full sun but will tolerate partial shade, summoning welcome pollinators.
Culinary lavender is no newcomer in the kitchen. No wonder Van Gogh and Monet were inspired by the graceful beauty of lavender fields. They add sprays of color and movement to your garden, attracting honeybees and other pollinators. Although there are numerous varieties of lavender — some preferred for essential oils, soaps, and lotions — culinary lavender imparts a sophisticated floral flavor without bitterness. A homemade lavender simple syrup serves as the base for a floral martini with lemon juice and vodka.
If you are looking for a simple warm-weather dessert to serve, lavender sorbet with lemon poundcake, adorned with sprigs of the flower, will conjure images of Provence.
As with any edible garden, avoid chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Shake flowers gently to dislodge insects, then add blossoms to a bowl of cold water to wash. Air-dry on an absorbent towel. With minimal preparation, edible flowers are an easy way to add sophisticated flair to your entertaining.