Edible Flowers

Safety Reminder
Be careful not to pick flowers exposed to pesticides or those growing by the roadside. Also, be cautious if you have hay fever, asthma, or allergies.

From Garden to Kitchen
Harvest flowers in the morning after the dew has evaporated. Choose flowers at their peak for best flavor. Put long-stemmed flowers in water and keep in a cool place. Use short-stemmed blossoms within a few hours of harvest or store between layers of damp paper toweling or in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Just before using, gently wash flowers, checking thoroughly for insects and soil.

For Best Flavor
Remove the stamens and pistils from flowers. Also remove the sepals (except on pansies, violas, and Johnny-jump-ups, in which they add flavor).


To Dry Edible Flowers
Some flowers dry well, while others lose their flavor. Check by drying a small sample before drying an entire crop. Gather flowers in early morning before the sun shines on them. Hang upside down by the stems in a dark, well-ventilated area.
(Flowers without stems can be dried on a fine screen.) Once dry, label and store in an air-tight container in a cool, dark place.


Example of common edible flowers:

Roses (Rosa species)
Flower size, fragrance, and flavor vary among the many rose species and varieties. Generally the flowers of the older types, such as rugosa roses, are the most flavorful. Roses need full sun and a rich, welldrained soil. They usually require regular watering, fertilizing, and pruning. Roses have a perfumed taste. Pick off the petals and remove the whitish, bitter base. Add to salads or make jelly.


Violets (Viola odorata), Johnny-jump-ups (Viola tricolor), Pansies (Viola x wittrockiana)
These three low-growing violas grow in sun or shade in fertile, moist, welldrained soil. They bloom best in cool weather. Violets are hardy perennials that can be divided and moved around the garden. Johnny-jump-ups and pansies are annuals. They are typically purchased as transplants in garden centers and planted in the garden in early spring. Johnny-jump-ups often reseed. Violas have a sweet, wintergreen or perfumed flavor. Use petals to color butter. Float flowers in punch, use in fruit salads, or candy for decorating cakes and pies.