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Edible flowers add so much to a dish – color and texture as well as flavor. Use them simply as a garnish, or infuse into vinegars & liquors for the most flavor. Sprinkle them onto soups or casseroles, pastries and dips, bake them into the tops of breads, muffins or cakes and you can even freeze them into ice cubes for summer cocktails.

Flowers are ephemeral and are generally best when harvested in the cool morning hours after a good watering. Only organically grown flowers that you have identified without a doubt should be eaten.

Here are some of our favorite varieties:

Basil flowers are a bit bitter but still edible in the right dish and the colors are gorgeous.

Borage blossoms taste a bit like a cucumber and are a lovely addition to salads or pastries, they are gorgeous in summer cocktails and are a traditional addition to a pimms cup.

Bee balm flowers are wonderful in teas or as a spicier alternative to oregano.

Bergamot, if you are lucky to have some citrus blooming in your house you may not want to pick any but if you have plethora of blooms use them to infuse vinegars, sauces or liquors.

Carnations – there are many varieties all with their own characteristics but most have a subtle clove like scent.

Chives as well as any alliums can add a bit of zing to salads or any dish that need a bit of heat. Make a chive emulsion with lemon dijon and oil that will brighten many dishes.

Chamomile flowers are cute as a button, decorate cupcakes, toss into salads or teas or just pop in your mouth while you are weeding.

Cilantro blooms taste similar to the leaves with a bit of spice but their flavor dosn’t hold up to cooking so eat them fresh in salsas salads and cocktails. Pineapple cilantro sorbet really close to perfection.

Chicory is mild.

Cornflower or bachelor buttons have a slight clove taste, most commonly used as a garnish they can also be used as a food coloring with a beautiful blue hue.

Chervil flowers have more flavor then their mild leaves and are reminiscent of anise. I love cream of chervil soup with the flowers as a lovely accent.

Calendula or marigold can be used as a saffron substitute, it lacks the taste with more of a citrus tang but will add a lovely golden color to rice dishes. Their bright yellows and oranges are beautiful additions to a festive meal.

Clover flowers are profuse and lovely in salads jellies and wines.

Chysanthemum come in many shapes and sizes, their flavor ranges from dull to peppery but they always add a bit of color. They are often used in stir-fries.

Dill flowers are just as flavorful as the leaf maybe even more so, and are great with seafood or cheddar dill biscuits.

Daylilyies taste like a sweet melon. It is a mild flavor but it’s there. Try them stuffed with a soft cheese and fried. DO NOT eat other kinds of lilies as many are toxic.

Fennel has a sharp anise flavor, sprinkle them on salads, use in tea or dry them and serve in a little bowl as an after dinner mint.

Hibiscus flowers will make any meal seem extraordinary.

Lemon verbena blooms are wonderful in teas or desserts that need a little citrus scent. Make an infused oil for use later in the season.

Lavender aroma is strong so add it sparingly. Try it as a substitute for rosemary for a similar taste with more floral notes. It’s divine in a citrus based sorbet. Make a simple syrup for use in drinks, one of our favorites is mezcal with grapefruit, lavender syrup and a salt rim – yum!

Lilac is one of the sweetest tasting garden flowers. I like to dry them and place a few sprigs in my sugar pot to insure it with that intoxicating aroma, it’s lovely in a mild tea or cream cheese frosting.

Mint blossoms can be used just as the herb and just about anywhere. I love it in salsas, in a cucumber yogurt sauce, on green beans with feta, in chocolate chip cookies and in omelets with peas and a good hard cheese.

Marjoram blooms are similar in taste to thyme and are mild enough to use anyplace you want to add their subtle color.

Nasturshims are a peppery hot surprise given their delicate looking blooms. They are wonderful on salads or as garnish but adding them to a soft creamy cheese really brings out their flavor. You can also pickle the seeds for a spicy caper substitute.

Okra flowers are beautiful additions to lots of savory or sweet dishes. Use them to garnish masala or seafood stew.

Oregano blooms are slightly more bitter than the leaf but can be used in the same way. A pesto with hazelnuts and oregano is a lovely. I also love a sauce with citrus and oregano for sweet potatoes or squash.

Passionflower are an exotic addition to your dinner party.

Rosemary blooms are tiny but sill pack a bit of flavor. Try vodka infused with rosemary and habanero. It’s also beautiful sprinkled atop an apple pie or try infusing a honey lemon blend.

Roses can be eaten whole or the petals removed. They taste much like they smell and are wonderful steeped into liquors or to flair pastries. The romans would bury them in urns for a week then place them on the tables to bloom during dinner parties.

Sage flowers are big and beautiful blue blooms that can be used anywhere you would use sage. We love them baked into breads, or fried and used as a garnish, they also make a beautiful addition to white bean dips.

Sunflower petals add a lively burst of color if not a lot of taste.

Thyme flowers can be used just as the herb but are more tender than the woody stems so they make a beautiful presentation whole.

Viola and pansies are so sweet on sweets. Brushed with egg whites and dusted with sugar they can last and last.

Woodruff tastes dainty and sweet just the it looks.

You can also eat the flowers of many vegetables try:
Zucchini
Arugula
Broccoli
Cabbage