Edible flowers!!

[thesunflowergal]

I thought I might try and grow some edible flower, as I thought it might be a bit of fun for my little girl. But other than Nasturtiums and Pansys, I do not know what else you can eat.

Thanks Nikki

[Elizabeth]

Try part way down this site;

http://www.recipes4us.co.uk/Edible%20Flowers.htm

[Millymollymandy]

I grew some French marigolds, not for eating but because they were supposed to repel carrot root fly. They didn't, so I tried them in salad instead (the petals are edible). They tasted horrible! But they were pretty in the veg patch and continued flowering for about 6 months!

[Clara]

We have violets growing everywhere, they smell so sweet and give nice early colour to the place. You can dip them in egg white and then icing sugar to decorate cakes (though I don't think given the raw egg content you could keep them for more than a few days) - so more of luxury than a food item.

Borage is also edible, flowers added to salads or suspended in icecubes look cool.

Both of these things seems to self-sow readily so be careful!

[pumpy]

daffodil petals in a salad are gorgeous............ but do not eat the stem(or any green bits), as they are mildly poisonous.

[MuddyWitch]

Day lilies make a splash of colour in Summer salads too

MW

[Ellendra]

Tulips, dandelions, and honeysuckle are all edible.

The flavor of tulips varies quite a bit. I've made jam from a variety that was rather fruity-flavored, but I've also tasted some that were bitter or sour.

[Nomada]

Rose petals, geraniums, calendula, chrysanthemums, hollyhocks, daisies, sunflower petals, gladiolus, elder flowers are all edible. I think snap dragons might be too as I've seen a website that sells them candied to decorate cakes with.

[Millymollymandy]

Tulips, dandelions, and honeysuckle are all edible.

The flavor of tulips varies quite a bit. I've made jam from a variety that was rather fruity-flavored, but I've also tasted some that were bitter or sour.

Warning time - for anyone unaware - do not eat the bulb!

Ellendra - tulip flower jam sounds very interesting! I've got a pot of dandelion petal jam that a neighbour gave me but I'm not too keen on the taste.

[Jandra]

Why not eat the tulip bulbs? My dad tells me they don't taste good, but during WWII they were often eaten in the last winter of the war ("winter of starvation") over here.

Jandra

[Millymollymandy]

I believe them to be very poisonous to the point of killing you! Oh hang on that might have been daffodil bulbs? But anyway just in case someone who is not a member of the forum but looks in/lurks it is best to make the point not to eat any bulbs just in case!

[sleepyowl]

Really don't try daffodils if there is a bit of stalk left in there you could make yourself very ill

[Millymollymandy]

Yes it was daffodils, not tulips that I was thinking of as there was something on the telly recently showing an area which had loads of beautiful wild daffies and the presenter said they think they were brought over by the Romans, who kept them in their pockets and if they were fatally wounded in battle they ate the bulbs so that they would die quicker!

[Elizabeth]

Don't eat any part of a lily from the Lillium family Poison!

[Silver Ether]

I've got a pot of dandelion petal jam that a neighbour gave me but I'm not too keen on the taste.

I made some last year ... I don't like it either ... spit spit