Make Your Own

Nasturtium to cocktails, teas, jams and desserts.

Ellen Zachos, blogger at backyardforager.com and author of Backyard

Foraging, uses a double infusion method to add even more flavor to her floral syrups.

Start by leaving 2 cups of your preferred flower in an equal amount of sugar for two days. Ellen likes to use nectar-rich milkweed heads or fresh petals from roses, pineapple guava or lilac. Add 2 cups of water to the mix and bring it to a boil. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Allow the mixture to rest for 24 hours before straining the flower petals. Store the liquid in a tightly closed glass jar in the refrigerator for two to four weeks.