Edible flowers

You may want to consider growing edible flowers in your garden, or just in pots on a windowsill. If the plant is edible, particularly culinary herbs, chances are good the flower is, too. If you grow a little pot of chives, let some blossom, and use the purple-blue blossoms in cream-cheese or sour cream-based dips and spreads. You can use nasturtiums to add color and sass to your salads. And cultivate friends from the Middle East—they know where you can get rose ice cream!

Treat flowers you will eat the same as you treat other edible vegetation. Don’t grow them near car traffic (exhaust fumes), don’t use any herbicide, fungicide, insecticide, or fertilizers on them that are not specifically for food plants. And don’t buy flowers you plan to eat from a florist! Either grow them yourself or buy them from people who actually deal in edible flowers. (Your favorite florist may know of someone you can order from.) Edible flowers are fragile and extremely perishable so very few people are going to grow them for market. There may be a few boutique growers for specialty (read expensive) restaurants. But your best, most reliable source would be your own garden.

Nasturtiums are both delicious and beautiful in salads and the flower buds can be pickled as a substitute for capers. Scented geranium petals are used to flavor jellies, and if you happen to grow fall-blooming crocus, the stamens are—saffron! There is a giant thistle whose flower buds are—artichokes!

There is more to this edible flower business than you thought. Cauliflower is just that, as is broccoli. And yes, rose petals are edible. There are many scented roses whose petals would look lovely scattered on a cake. Candied rose petals are a festive Middle Eastern holiday treat. I’ve seen recipes for cakes flavored with lavender, rosewater, or orange blossom. If you’ve ever smelled orange blossoms you know that must be heavenly. There is a whole new world of culinary experience waiting for you to explore.

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