Eat these you say?

Story by Janet Kanters

Flowers – for lunch? Look again.

The varied tastes of edible flowers and their decorative potential in salads, drinks and desserts have opened up a whole new world of enjoyment for those who revel in culinary pursuits. But it’s important to note what’s edible and what’s not. Many flowers can be eaten, but only some can be enjoyed. And in most cases, only the petals of edible flowers should be eaten.

A good rule of thumb to follow is to only eat those flowers that you, or others, have grown especially for eating. If you’re unsure of whether a flower is safe to eat, check with your garden centre before you start munching.

In her book Herbs & Edible Flowers, Lois Hole of Hole’s Greenhouses and Gardens in St. Albert, says marigolds, nasturtiums, pansies, violas, violets, roses and sunflowers are some of the more easy-to-grow and tasty edible flowers. For the more adventurous, try hollyhocks, snapdragons, tuberous begonia, bachelor’s button, chrysanthemum, fuchsia, daylilies, mallow, evening primrose, poppy, passion flower, lemon geranium and primrose.

To prepare edible flowers for use in cooking, baking or decoration, soak flowers in slightly salted water for 15 minutes to ensure cleanliness and freedom from insects. Drain thoroughly on towels. For recipes that require flower petals, snip off the bases and scatter petals onto fresh towels. Dry only to remove petal surface moisture, then refrigerate until required. For recipes that require whole flowers, place clean flowers on a towel-covered plate, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed.