Edible Blossoms and Candied Flowers

Many flower blossoms are quite wonderful tasting. But before you start randomly eating flowers from your garden, be sure you know what you are doing—some are deadly poisonous. And of course, if you use pesticides or herbicides in your garden, you might want to avoid eating those blooms. Caveats aside, flowers do wonderfully in salads, as a garnish for chilled soup or serving platters, sprinkled on ice cream, atop spring cocktails, or to decorate cakes.

The following is a list of some of the edible beauties:

Bee balm
Calendula
Daylilies
Hollyhocks
Marigolds
Nasturtiums
Pansies
Roses
Scarlet runner bean
Sunflowers
Violets

How to make candied flowers:

These delectable treats are easy to create; use them on top of ice cream or cakes. Pick the flowers fresh in the early morning.

You’ll need:

A generous handful of violet blossoms, rose petals, or any flower from the edible flowers list
1 or 2 egg whites, depending on how many flowers you use
Superfine sugar

1. Gently wash flowers and pat dry with a clean towel.
2. Beat the egg whites in a small bowl. Pour the sugar into another bowl. Carefully dip the flowers into the egg whites, then roll in sugar, being sure to cover all sides.
3. Set flowers on a cookie sheet and allow to dry in a warm place. Store in a flat container with waxed paper between the layers. These will last for several days.

Read more: Basics, Food

Adapted from Every Garden Is a Story: Stories, Crafts and Comforts by Susannah Seton (Conari Press, 2007).

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Susana L.

5:15PM PDT on May 24, 2012

thanks

send a green star

SuSanne P.

7:50PM PDT on May 2, 2012

How Lovely, thank you:)

Richelle R.

8:12PM PDT on Apr 6, 2012

Looked it up....agar agar or flax seeds, boiled in water, can be used instead of egg whites. And super fine sugar can be made by putting regular sugar in the food processor. All is good

12:07PM PDT on Apr 3, 2012

Ya, about the egg. Isn't that bad to eat raw egg? Can something else be used? Thanks

Kat H.

4:08AM PDT on Apr 3, 2012

Can you do it without egg?

Thanks so much! I have to try this!

Victoria B.

6:18AM PDT on Mar 26, 2012

Candied flowers are quite tasty.

Donna H.

11:28AM PDT on Mar 23, 2012

Interesting article. Thanks for posting.

Lydia P.

6:23AM PDT on Mar 23, 2012

I wouldn't want to eat flowers. Every time you pick a flower you prevent it from reproducing and thus diminish the species. Look at them, smell them, enjoy them. Don't pick them.

Catherine B.

4:49AM PDT on Mar 16, 2012

Anastasia J. Thanks for your advice. Sweet peas not edible? that is terrible - the flowers look so beautiful and smell so nice. I wonder if only certain parts are inedible?

Melinda offline K.

8:28PM PDT on Mar 14, 2012

Never heard you can eat sunflowers, be careful on what flowers you can eat.