

If you're new to this phenomenon, you should know that there are a
lot of flower blossoms which you can enjoy fresh and even cooked. It may
be a bit tricky to find edible flowers being sold in the market but it
is easy to grow them in your garden. Since the flowers are intended to
be eaten after harvesting, it makes more sense if you'd grow them
yourself.
A Few Words of Caution When Selecting Your Edible Flowers
-
Be sure you only eat flowers when you're absolutely sure that they're
edible. Just because you see flowers as a garnish, doesn't always mean
they're edible
- Don't ever eat flowers which have been treated with pesticide
that weren't labeled safe for use on food products. Be sure to follow
the pesticide label instructions when you're harvesting your flowers.
- Never eat the flowers which you get from florists or roadsides.
Tips When Harvesting and Storing Flowers
-
For most of the flower varieties which have been listed as edible,
only refer to the petals of the plant. Before eating or serving the
flowers, gently remove the pistils as well as the stamens. If there are
attached sepals you must remove them too.
- Expect that the flavor of the edible flowers may vary depending on the season, as well as the growing location.
- Flowers that are edible are supposed to be harvested early in the
morning, when the temperature is cool. If you aren't sure you're going
to use them immediately, cut them and leave the stems in place before
keeping them in water. Alternately, you may also store these flowers
with a few dampened paper towels and keeping them in the fridge.

Common Flowers You Can Grow In Your Garden
-
Borage - This has a fresh cucumber-like scent and taste. It has
striking blue flowers which look great when you toss them in a fresh
salad.
- Pot Marigolds or Calendula - The petals of the calendula are
great with both cooked and fresh dishes because the flower can be used
as a substitute of saffron. The yellowish to orange petals can give food
a beautiful color and tastes once you chop and sauté them.
- Gem Marigolds - Known also as the Lemon or Tangerine Gem, it has a
citrusy flavor, even if you don't get to have the citrus scent. Gently
pull the petals off and remove the bitter part of the flower.
- Pansy - You'd be surprised by this one because the entire flower
is edible! Pansies are great in giving off a minty flavor which make
them great in candying, as well as cute decorations for hors d'oeuvres.
- Squash Blossoms - These edible flowers are very tasty, especially when you stuff them up with a savory filling and fried to a crispy perfection.