FEAST YOUR EYES
EDIBLE FLOWERS CAN BOOST YOUR HEALTH WHILE ADDING DELIGHT AND INTEREST TO YOUR DISHES
EDIBLE flowers are not only decorative but they are deliciously nutritious too, so are sure to enhance any menu.
PICKING POSIES
NOT all flowers are edible and there’s no set rule for identifying which ones are, so it’s best to stick to recipes whenever including new ingredients.
Don’t use cut flowers, such as the bouquets you were no doubt lucky enough to receive on Valentine’s Day, as it could end in disaster.
Only flowers grown specifically for eating, and therefore not contaminated with preservatives or chemicals, are safe to add to your dishes.
BUDS THAT BOOST
THE health benefits of a varied diet are numerous – and incorporating foods from a wide range of groups such as fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers is good for us.
Flowers have been used to flavour food across the world for centuries.
In the UK, we’ve typically used chamomile and lavender to enhance both sweet and savoury dishes. But why stop there?
Most edible flowers will supply vitamin C and nasturtiums can also deliver vitamin D to your diet. Both these vitamins give great immune support for your body.
It’s not just vitamins on offer either. Flowers contain minerals to improve your health too.
Chrysanthemums and violas are two edible flowers which give meals a kick of potassium, supporting heart and muscle function, while borage provides iron to oxygenate your blood and maintain energy levels.
Unlock this world of floral fuel and it could do wonders for your wellbeing.
FULL OF FLAVOUR
LIKE other ingredients, flowers will bring their own flavour. Begonia flowers can be eaten raw and have a citrus/sour taste. Try adding them to fish dishes to help bring out the specific flavours.
Wild garlic flowers do actually taste of garlic so they’re really versatile in savoury dishes.
And many rose petals are edible and have a slightly fruity flavour that can be used in syrups or jellies.
Honeysuckle, as the name implies, has a sweet honey taste, while the highly scented jasmine flower is used to flavour rice to great effect.
But the herbal heavyweight is hibiscus, which is used to flavour many fruit teas.
Its flavour is tart, almost cranberrylike, and gives off a deep red-violet colour that mimics that of a cabernet.
Avoid hibiscus if you are pregnant though, as research suggests it can
cause complications.
A FLORAL FLOURISH
THINK of flowers in your cooking the same way you view herbs and spices – they add a little something but aren’t the bulk of the recipe. To that end, you can just use flowers as decoration and they’ll look really breathtaking. You can cook almost anything and include ornamental flower petals as a finishing touch. The bright blooms of pansies are fantastic when added to the top of a summer salad. They give a pop of colour and taste really great too.
You often see this at weddings because it’s a really romantic way to finish off a dish, and it’s also something a bit out of the ordinary if you’re looking to impress.
PLANTS TO TASTE
WHEN we consume food, we don’t just enjoy the taste – a lot of things affect whether we enjoy a meal or not.
Cornell University in New York found that taste, odour, touch and visual signals play a part in the perception of how our food tastes, as well as emotions and past experience.
So, as colour and texture contribute to our experience of food, flowers
Cupcakes infused with lavender would go down a treat
should reign supreme.
Try first to identify the colours and textures of the meal and match the right floral garnish to it. Cool purples and blue petals will look great matched with green vegetables for instance.
And soft curling petals add a delicate texture to their natural crunch, while a smooth pasta dish may benefit from a crisper floral contribution, such as deep-fried courgette flowers. Courgette flowers are actually very versatile. You can coat them in honey and vinegar or stuff them with cheese and herbs, much as you’d stuff a mushroom or pepper.
IN-SEASON FOR SUPPER
RIGHT now you can take advantage of blooms such as violas and pansies, which are ready to be picked.
I love the bold colour of pansy flower heads sat atop pasta salad dishes, or try them on meringues.
Grow chamomile or lavender indoors on a sunny windowsill and add their warm, floral notes to baked goods or infuse their flavour into jams, preserves or cakes.
You can also preserve edible flower petals in oils and vinegar, and store them in an air-tight container. So shake things up with fabulous and fragrant flowers for a meal that’s well and truly dressed to impress.