Ah, yes, being out in nature makes us feel invincible and connected to the Earth.
Sometimes you take a moment to stop, look around you, and think, “how did the pioneers do it?” How did they survive in nature, on nature alone? Well, many didn’t survive, but in our fantasies, we naturally want to play the part of a pioneer who did.
Let’s be clear, the pioneers had horrible teeth and most of their food edibility was determined by trial and error. However, there are some really good things in nature that you can eat. We’re taking a moment in our blog today to cover some of nature’s most beautiful and safely edible flowers — although we can’t promise you how great they actually taste compared to modern sweets.
Edible Flowers
Let’s talk about popular flower essences that are commonly infused into dishes, added to beverages, and used as decorations. Also, we’re gonna talk about flavor so that you know what you’re getting into and don’t accidentally add a spicy flower to a sweet dessert if you don’t want to.
Borage
This hardy flower is tolerant of droughts, grows easily, and requires little maintenance. It’s bright blue petals and pointy green leaves brings a pop of color to any food or drink it’s added to. The vegetable part of the plant has a cucumber-esque taste that complements salads well, while the flower has a deliciously sweet honey taste that is often used to lighten alcoholic beverages.
Calendula
If you’re eating this flower, you’ll want to choose the intense golden flowers to chew on. They have a peppery, tangy, almost spicy taste. Interestingly enough, Borage and Calendula are often paired together for either a fresh, tangy taste or a sweet and spicy food moment.
Daisy
Not only are these iconic flowers always in summer fashion, it turns out they’re delicious! We’re not talking about daisies you’d buy in the store but rather the weed that you used to make flower crowns out of as a child. Also known as English Daisies or Oxeye Daisies, these abundant blossoms are sweet and tasty. People for generations have been adding them to salads and sandwiches. We’ve even heard of people pickling the buds and deep frying the flowers.
Dandelion
Talk about weeds! Dandelions are abundant and while they’re not so tasty on their own, they definitely stand out and add flavor to other greens. Additionally, if you have little friends, dandelions are a great treat for bunnies, hamsters, turtles and other small critters. Just be sure they haven’t been sprayed with any pesticides!
Daylily
Note! Lilies are toxic for humans and pets to eat. Which is why many people steer clear of Daylilies, but the name is a trick, this flower isn’t actually a true Lily and is totally safe to eat. Because they are a bigger, more succulent flower, there are more options for cooking. Some people like to chop them up and add the chopped petals as a lettuce accent in salads considering they have a similar taste to Romaine. However, we know another common way to eat them is to stuff them up like peppers and deep fry them! Be sure to sample a little piece of petal first, unlike other flowers, people have found that different varieties of Daylilies actually have different flavors.
Elderflower
Flowers from an Elder tree have a sweet, honey-like presence that people love to taste in their alcohol. Elderflower wine, anyone?
Hibiscus
Not only does the sight of this tropical flower send you away into a paradise of your own, but so does the taste! These tart, berry-flavored flowers are common additions to iced teas and other tropical inspired entrees.
Lavender
Now your boyfriend’s favorite scent can also be his favorite flavor! Lavender has a taste all of its own that is sweet like a flower but also earthy like a vegetable. We’re sure you’ve eaten this popular summer extract at least once, whether in a chocolate, tea, or other dish.
Nasturtium
This climbing, viney plant is entirely edible from the stem to the leaves to the petals. They are cousins to the watercress, grow in rich autumnal colors, and add a peppery, slightly spicy essence to any dish.
Pansy & Violets
Not just good for your front yard, Pansies and Violets are colorful additions to food. We put them together in this list because they’re relatively flavorless, but they come in so many different colors, these vivid colors satisfy the sense of sight more than taste.
Rose
Talk about eating your feelings! While you may give your girlfriend a bouquet of roses to show that you love her, roses are also fragrant additions to food, especially outside of the United States. They are mostly infused into desserts but it’s also relatively easy to find rose petal jam and rose water.
Just because we’re telling you what flowers you can eat, doesn’t mean that you should eat them. In fact, unless you know a professional chef or botanist, please don’t eat just any flower. Flowers are easily mistakenly identified and subtle differences can be a matter of life and death.
So maybe tuck away this blog knowledge for the next fancy dinner that you go to, so that you can impress your father-in-law, by telling him why they paired his duck confit with Nasturtium. In the meantime, when you’re not chewing on nature, come on in and get your teeth checked! Just to be sure you can keep eating as many flowers as you’d like in the future. Call today to schedule an appointment!
