Magazine articles often show
attractive displays of flowers as food this time of year.
So, just what are the guidelines for munching flowers? Obviously,
our ancestors thousands of years ago grazed for their food,
long before botanists and plant breeders brought us commercial
agriculture with its named fruits and vegetables.
There are some basic guidelines when it comes to edible
flowers. Much of this information is pure common sense,
but it’s important to be mindful when venturing into
new gastronomic pursuits. Many of us lack the wisdom of
an experienced “elder” to tell us which flowers
might be safely edible, so it’s good to review some
basics.
It’s important to be cautious. If you have allergy
issues or a compromised immune system, it’s best to
skip these adventures with edible flowers unless you have
absolute control over their production.
Identify the flower exactly and eat only edible flowers
or edible parts of those flowers. Tulips, for instance,
can be eaten, but only the petals. If the taste of any flower
is objectionable — too bitter, too sour, too spicy
or just plain weird — don’t swallow it.
Flowers can vary in edibility depending on the time of year.
Once you have established that a flower is safely edible,
experiment with its flavor and texture at different times
of the year.
Do not place a nonedible flower on the edge of a plate.
Hungry diners may assume that if they see it on the plate,
it’s there for eating.
Toxicity is a major concern. Some ornamental plants are
distinctly poisonous though beautiful, including several
adorning gardens at this time of year: narcissus flowers,
bleeding hearts and lily-of-the valley. Even though a lovely
daffodil may seem to be just the thing to top a birthday
cake, stay away from using those. Other beauties to avoid
eating include hydrangea and Texas mountain laurel.
Be sure flowers are free of pesticides. Regulations for
how to use pesticides on food crops differ from regulations
for ornamental crops. Be sure that the rose or pansy flower
you have your eye on has not been treated with any pesticides,
which are illegal to be used on a food crop. Roses, for
example, are sometimes given a granular soil treatment with
a systemic insecticide. This should not be regarded as safe
for human consumption due to the use of a systemic insecticide
that can be present in most or all parts of a plant for
several weeks after application.
When choosing flowers for edibility, look for those grown
safely. Don’t pluck a flower at random from an unfamiliar
location or make the assumption that flowers in florist
displays are edible — florists are, after all, not
grocery stores.
Also avoid flowers picked from roadsides where pesticides
may have been used. Herbicides to control weeds also affect
potentially edible plants. Don’t eat large quantities
of any one flower (especially if allergies are present).
In most cases, the petals are the palatable part of the
flowers listed as “edible.” Remove the stamens
and pistil from larger flowers such as daylilies (the stamens
are covered with pollen, which may aggravate allergies).
Reliably edible flowers include calendulas, dandelions,
geraniums, nasturtiums, pansies, roses, squash blossoms
and sweet violets. This is only a partial list of edible
flowers.
One flower that is particularly abundant in many area landscapes
is the daylily. While the daylily nowadays is considered
a delicacy by wild food gatherers and knowledgeable chefs,
it has a long history in Chinese cuisine in addition to
Chinese medicine.
Daylily flowers can be used in a variety of ways. They add
sweetness to soups and vegetable dishes. Flowers that are
half opened or fully opened may be dipped in a light batter
of flour and water and fried in a wok. You can add the petals
to egg dishes and salads. An ingredient in many Chinese
recipes, including hot-and-sour soups, is called golden
needles, which are dried daylily petals.
Some food preparers have suggested that varieties with pale
yellow or orange flowers produce the sweetest, most delectable
taste. However, it appears that the daylily taste is related
to type of cultivar more than flower color, according to
serious taste trials.
Eating flowers is not a weird or unusual gastronomic endeavor
— if you like broccoli, then you are already a flower
connoisseur since a head of broccoli is composed of a few
hundred unopened flowers! The guidelines provided here are
definitely related to a common-sense approach to selecting
other types of flowers as food. Adding flower petals to
a salad or garnishing a stack of pancakes with a small rose
can be fun and effective, but it’s necessary to become
informed before ingesting your floral creations.
Dr. William Johnson is a horticulturist with the Galveston
County Extension Office of Texas Cooperative Extension,
Texas A&M University. Visit his Web site at http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/galveston.
Upcoming Program
WHAT: Low Volume Irrigation — A Homeowner’s
Guide
WHEN: 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Saturday
WHERE: Galveston County Extension Office, 5115 state Highway
3, Dickinson
DETAILS: Master Gardener Louis Mickler will discuss how
to design, install and operate a low-volume irrigation system,
and there will be a hands-on demonstration
INFORMATION: E-mail GALV3(at)wt.net or call 281-534-3413,
Ext. 1-2. No fee, but preregistration is required as seating
is limited |
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