Step1
Chive Blossoms – Pull off the small petals from the flower and use whenever a slight onion or chive flavor is desired.
Step2
Garlic Blossoms – More bold compared to chive blossom, but milder than the actual garlic bulb. Use the whole flower in salads for an extra garlic dimension.
Step3
Anise Blossoms – Tastes like licorice or anise in flavor. Some people liken it to root beer. Try using it as a lovely edible garnish for stir fry or noodle dishes.
Step4
Borage – Like a cucumber in flavor, borage has a wonderful pale blue color and a dramatic star-like shape. Use the whole blossom in salads or drop a few into a summer cooler drink.
Step5
Marigolds – Many times marigold has been used as a substitute for saffron over the centuries. The sometimes sweet, sometimes spicy flavor is great in tomato-based soups and cooked with rice pilafs. Pick individual petals off rather than use the whole blossom. Try crushing the petals to release a lovely yellow coloring.
Step6
Chamomile – These flowers long have been used to make soothing teas, but the raw petals taste faintly like apple, making them great to use in a dessert, such as ice cream.
Step7
Chrysanthemums – The Chinese and Japanese have long used chrysanthemums as garnish. Quickly blanch the petals in hot water for a few seconds before plunging them into ice water. Sprinkle the petals over rice or noodle dishes. The flavor ranges from a mild cauliflower flavor to a pungent spiciness.
Step8
Garden Sorrel – Much like the sorrel greens, the blossoms have a tart lemony taste to them. Try using the flowers in summer cooling teas or as you would use a lemon.
Step9
Hibiscus – Tart and surprisingly cranberry in flavor, these flowers are used in teas as well as summer drinks. Use sparingly, as they are overpowering in flavor.
Step10
Honeysuckle – Like the name of the plant, the flowers taste of lovely honey. Avoid the poisonous berries like the plague. Use in desserts to impart a honey flavor.
Step11
Johnny-Jump-Ups – While these are often mistaken for violets by children, these little purple, yellow and white flowers are wonderfully sweet. Try sugar coating them for desserts or add them whole to soups, salads and main dishes as a garnish.
Step12
Lavender – Lavender works well in both sweet and savory dishes. It has a mild floral lemon flavor that can stand out in ice creams, chocolate and cream sauces.
Step13
Lilac – On a more bitter note, the lilac’s sweet, yet bitter taste does wonders for a simple salad.
Step14
Linden – A delicate honey flavor is what you should expect when tasting this tiny flower.
Step15
Primrose – Primroses have a lovely generic sweet taste that goes well in salads.
Step16
Queen Anne's Lace – Take just the top crown of the flower to use in salads. Imparts a carrot flavor.
Step17
Roses – Flavors depend on type, color, and soil conditions. The rose has a flavor reminiscent of strawberries and green apples, sweet, with subtle undertones ranging from fruit to mint to spice. Larger petals can be sprinkled on desserts or salads. Freeze them in ice cubes and float them in punches also. Petals can be used in syrups, jellies, perfumed butters and sweet spreads. Note that all rose varieties are edible and the darker the rose, the more pronounced the flavor will be.
Step18
Scented Geraniums – The flower flavor generally corresponds to the variety. For example, a lemon-scented geranium has lemon-flavored flowers. They come in fragrances from citrus and spice to fruits and flowers, and usually in colors of pinks and pastels. Sprinkle them over desserts and in refreshing drinks or freeze in ice cubes. Do not eat the citronelle variety of geranium.
Step19
Violets – Sweet, perfumed flavor. Use the tender leaves and flowers in salads. All of these flowers make pretty adornments for frosted cakes, sorbets, or any other desserts, and they may be crystallized as well.
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