They’re Pretty and You Can Eat ‘Em Too

By Carol Barany

July and August are months of lush abundance in the Yakima Valley, when gardens explode not only with extraordinary produce, but with extravagant flowers. For centuries and across many cultures, flowers have provided not only a feast for the eyes, but for the palate as well. Many flowers are edible and can make a beautiful and delicious addition to recipes.

But before you head into the garden and pick a bunch of blooms to add to tonight’s dinner menu, it’s important that you know precisely what you are eating.

Photos of food bedazzled by blooms entice readers from the pages of cookbooks and magazines, but just because that dish may be garnished with flowers does not mean that the garnishes are safe to eat. The widespread use of pesticides by commercial growers is a reality, making it essential that cooks obtain flowers from a dependable, food-safe source. Never eat flowers from a florist or gathered from the side of the road.

Better to use those flowers from your own garden, so you know they are completely safe. Roses, nasturtiums, pansies, violets and lavender are flowers that can be used easily and are good choices for the flower-as-food novice. Not only do they make gorgeous garnishes, but thyme, oregano, sage and chive flowers have a milder taste than their leaves and can safely be used as you would the herb.

If you are choosing homegrown flowers to eat, remember that many can potentially cause gastric distress and some are outright dangerous. Always consult a list of poisonous plants before you even consider eating a particular flower, and never use floral preservatives with edibles. Pick freshly opened and perfectly formed flowers from your garden in the morning or late afternoon, when the water content is high and flavors and essential oils are at their peak. Remove the pistils and stamens — the pollen-bearing parts of the plant. This step is especially important if you have asthma, hay fever or allergies.

If this is the case, you may want to avoid eating flowers altogether, or do so very cautiously in small quantities, to be absolutely sure you will not have a dangerous reaction. Continue your preparations by washing the flowers thoroughly in cool water, followed by a revitalizing 30- to 60-second plunge in an ice water bath. Drain on paper towels and then carefully remove the petals or other parts to be eaten. In some flowers, such as roses, you may decide to scissor away the whitish part of the petal where it connects to the stem, since it can add bitterness. You can store the flowers in a plastic bag in the refrigerator, but try to serve them just as fresh as possible.

Ten common plants that you shouldn’t eat:

(From livescience.com)

Narcissus

Rhododendron

Ficus

Oleander

Chrysanthemum

Anthurium

Lily-of-the-valley

Hydrangea

Foxglove

Wisteria