How to Eat a Daylily (Hemerocallis fulva)

Daylilies (Hemerocallis fulva) are not only beautiful, but also very delicious. For centuries, daylilies have been a staple food in many parts of Asia. All throughout the growing season the daylily can provide a variety of tasty foods including flowers, buds, leaf shoots, and potato like roots. The fast growing plants can often be found growing along roadsides in great abundance. Try them you will be surprised, you'll like them.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Daylilies
• Scissors
• Shovel
• Kitchen

1. The flower buds are edible and may be cut and prepared like green beans. They are best collected when nearly full grown and about to bloom. They are quite delicious, but won't taste like green beans. They are also good in stir fries.

2. The daylily flower is interesting in that each bloom lasts only one day. The fresh flowers are excellent dipped in an egg batter and fried.

3. The withered flowers of yesterday, as well as the new flowers, and mature buds may all be used in stir fries, soups, and stews. The new flowers and buds act like okra in liquids and added not only taste but a gelled character to the dish, but for best results add them in the last several minutes of cooking.

4. 
    
   Young daylily shoots and edible tubers.

   The small tubers on the roots (see image) are also quite edible and delicious at all times of the year. They are best eaten when young, white, and crisp and don't take tubers which are soft. To prepare simply cut the 1 inch long football shaped tubers from the roots, wash the dirt off, and boil in salted water for 15 minutes. They have a unique buttery taste. Like potatoes the older tubers develop a papery (but transparent skin) which some people find annoying, luckily the cooked tubers are easily squeezed out of their skin after being cooked.

5. If young leaf shots are cut in the early spring (long before the flowers appear) the older outside leaves may be pealed away to reveal an edible stalk of young leaves. These may be sliced and used in salads or cooked whole like asparagus. Just boil for a few minutes, drain, add salt and butter, and serve).

Tips & Warnings

• Extra flower buds may be saved easily by drying, just spread them out on clean cardboard or newspaper in a warm and dry attic or room for about a week.
• Don't worry about taking a few plants as thick stands actually benefit and are stimulated by thinning.
• Don't eat any plant your aren't sure is edible.

[Meri]

on 8/10/2008 What a great article!

[earthdirt]

on 8/2/2008 Daylilies come in all colors, however, the standard type are more a bright orange without the pink overtones of a salmon.

[SuzDoyleMusic]

on 8/1/2008 An informative -- and tasty! -- article. :-) Are daylily flowers mostly salmon colored?

[Feather]

on 8/1/2008 How interesting! I had never thought of *eating* my daylilies!