Where to Find Edible Flowers
The technique of adding flowers to cuisine dates to ancient Greece. Flowers can add color, flavor and personality to your cooking. Whether you use the blossoms as a garnish or a main ingredient, edible flowers can add flavor and style to your dishes. Does this Spark an idea?
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Tips and Precautions
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Since no pesticides are currently approved for use on edible flowers, consume only flowers that have not been treated with them. In addition, introduce each new flower individually into your diet to avoid an allergic reaction. Regular allergy sufferers or asthmatics should refrain from eating flowers. Taste your flowers before using them in food to ensure the flavors are pleasant.
Grow Your Own
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Growing edible flowers is comparable to growing vegetables. Plant flower seeds or bulbs in well-drained soil with an ideal pH of 5.5 to 6. Instead of using pesticides, remove harmful insects by hand and regularly prune dead flowers to promote new growth. Keep the new plants damp, but refrain from overhead irrigation that may contribute to disease development.
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In the Wild
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If your state's laws allow it, pick wildflowers to provide edible flowers. Check that what you're picking does not contain pesticides, and most importantly, consult an edible flower guide with pictures to ensure that what you pick is safe to eat. Pick new, but fully opened flowers, not underripe or overripe, and pick in the cooler parts of the day.
Purchasing Edible Flowers
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Some grocery or health food stores sell edible flowers in pre-packaged containers. Also consider farmers' markets where you can get fresh flowers and investigate the use of pesticides. Don't purchase flowers for cooking or garnishing from florists or nurseries; they have probably been treated with pesticides and are not grown for consumption.
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References
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