Some Parts are Edible

When we were building our home several years ago, I wanted an herb garden just outside my kitchen's back door so I could dash out and grab a fresh herb just as I was preparing our meals.

During the course of researching that garden's design, I came across Rosaland Creasy's book "The Edible Flower Garden" and my thinking expanded considerably. Inspired by the book's gorgeous photos, simple instructions, and delicious recipes, I now have an organic edible flower and herb garden that surrounds our back patio. The tulips are just beginning to bloom and I love to eat their tasty petals! I use thinly sliced ribbons of tulip petals in salads, the whole petals as a base under tuna  or egg salad, and sometimes serve them with a dab of chive cream cheese on the base of the petal for a conversation starting appetizer.

Edible flowers can add elegance and fun to your meals. But caution should be exercised when growing and using them.

Most of us already know that not all flowers are edible. But it's also true that not all edible flowers are truly fit for human consumption. To be on the safe side, you should eat flowers only when you are absolutely positive that they are edible and choose only ones that are organically grown commercially or grown in your own garden without the use of pesticides and herbicides.

If you grow your own edible flowers, harvest them early in the morning when the water content is high, gently wash them in cool water, and place them on layers of damp paper towels in a covered plastic container in your refrigerator. Use them within 24 hours.

As pretty as they are, not all edible flowers taste very good and they should be used sparingly in your culinary creations. A mouth full of marigold petals can be a bitter experience. So, do your research and taste the petals before you use them in your recipes. Also, don't assume that because the fruit is edible, the flower will be. Flowers from tomato, eggplant, and pepper plants are poisonous. For a listing of "safe to eat" flowers, check out this site which notes flavor comparisons and suggested uses for those pretty petals.

One last note of caution, never give edible flowers to children, pregnant women, the elderly, or anyone who has asthma and/or hayfever, or whose immune system may be compromised.

Photos: Edible tulips and pansies from my garden