Edible Flowers

by Tara Bianca Tiller

Eating flowers has been a tradition throughout the world for millennia. Roses and orange flowers have been used in many Middle Eastern and Persian dishes; cherry blossoms and chrysanthemums are used in Japan. In the last three hundred years, butterfly-like nasturtiums (originally from Peru) have been used in Europe and North American cuisine.

Edible flowers are the perfect addition to your garden or work great in a kitchen container garden. Flowers such as violets and calendulas make beautifully colourful and tasty garnishes to salads and raw desserts. Nasturtiums, a favourite of many, have a wonderfully spicy, peppery flavour. Artichoke, broccoli, and cauliflower are some flowers we eat as vegetables without even realizing they are flowers.

Organic flower seeds are available at Choices and Capers and some garden stores later this spring. See below for recipes, edible and non-edible lists, and rules for eating edible flowers.

Caution: Not all flowers are edible. Some are poisonous either naturally or from toxic chemical pesticides.

Edible Flower Salad & Raspberry Vinaigrette

In a salad bowl:
4 cups of romaine lettuce, torn or chopped
4 oz mixed salad greens
1/4 cup edible flower petals
1/8 cup finely chopped fresh herbs (chives, basil and tarragon)
1/4 cup pinenuts or pecans
12 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup red pepper, sliced or chopped

Vinaigrette:
1/8 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tsp shallots, miced
1/8 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
1/4 tsp dry tarragon leaves
1 1/2 tsp honey or soft dates
2 tsp parsley, chopped
1/2 cup lemon juice
3/4 cup olive oil


Blend ingredients in food processor or vitamix until smooth. Toss with salad.

RULES FOR EDIBLE FLOWERS - VERY IMPORTANT:

1. Not all flowers are edible. Some are poisonous. Learn the difference.

2. Eat flowers only when you are positive they are edible and non-toxic.

3. Eat only flowers that have been grown organically.

4. Do not eat flowers from florists, nurseries or garden centers unless you know they’ve been maintained organically.

5. Do not eat flowers if you have hay fever, asthma or allergies.

6. Do not eat flowers growing on the side of the road.

7. Remove pistils and stamens from flowers before eating. Eat only the petals of the larger flowers.

8. Introduce flowers into your diet the way you would new foods to a baby - one at a time in small quantities.

9. The flowers may be edible, but that does not mean that the berries and leaves are edible.

Note: Pregnant women should avoid all strong herbs and no plant should be ingested in excess by anyone at anytime. None of these plants should be eaten unless they have been grown organically.

Some of the more common EDIBLE FLOWERS* in your garden:

Angelica Anise Hyssop Apple Blossom Artichoke Arugula Bachelor Buttons (Cornflower) Banana Basil Bee Balm Borage Burnet Calendula Carnation Chamomile Chicory Chives Chrysanthemum Cilantro / Coriander Citrus Clover Cornflower / Bachelor Buttons Dandelion Daylily Dianthus Dill Elderberry English Daisy Fennel Freesia Fuchsia Gardenia Garlic Geraniums Gladiolas Hibiscus Hollyhock Honeysuckle Hyssop Iceland Poppy Impatiens Jasmine Johnny Jump Up Lavendar

Lemon Verbena Lilac Linden Mallow Marigold Marjoram Mint Mustard Nasturtium Oregano Okra Onion Orange Blossom Pansy Passionflower Pea Pineapple Sage Primrose Radish Red Clover Redbud Rose Rosemary Rose of Sharon Runner Bean Safflower Sage Savory Scented Geranium Snapdragon Society Garlic Squash Blossom Sunflower Sweet Marigold Sweet William Thyme Tuberous Begonia Tulip Viola Violet Winter Savory Yucca

An Incomplete List of POISONOUS FLOWERS* Commonly Found in the Garden:

*Flower lists compiled by Jennifer A. Wickes of www.betterbudgeting.com.

Raw and Living Food Articles and Links to Articles:

WWW http://www.rawbc.org

On Site Articles:

Raw Health

• Is it important to be All Raw? by Victoria Boutenko
• Fear of Raw Food by Victoria & Valya Boutenko


• What's Raw?
• Enzymes & Protein
• Raw Breakfast
• Winter Health
• Get Glowing Healthy on the Inside
• Staying Raw
• Frequently Asked Raw Questions

Fruits, Roots, Stems, Greens, Flowers, and Nuts

• All About Oranges
• Are There Enough Greens in Our Stores? by Victoria Boutenko
• Beautiful & Fresh Berries
• Green Make the Body More Alkaline by Victoria Boutenko

Growing Food

• How to Grow Massive Amounts of Great Food Fast
• Gardening for an Improving Lifestyle
• Edible Flowers

Lifestyle

• Eating Food Naturally
• Body Wisdom
• West Coast Cherry Blossoms
• Sun Stands Still - Summer Solstice
• Potlucks - In the Spirit of Gathering
• Food Safety
• Potluck Guidelines
• Audio Clips, Radio Interviews on Raw Food
• Back to all RawBC Articles

Off Site Articles:

Raw Health

• A Great Start for Beginners - www.living-foods.com/articles
• Why All Should Eat Only Raw Foods Always - Dr. Bernarr
  
• B12 - Gabriel Cousins, MD
• Troubleshooting: Avoiding or Overcoming Problems in Raw and Living Foods Diets
• Transitioning to a Healthy Raw Diet, the Easy Way - Doug Graham
  
• Food Combining Chart
• The End of Cooking? - Lynda Strahl (www.veg-world.com)
• The 21 Steps to Success - Robert Reid (1998)
  
• Overeating - Ray Kent
• Principles of Raw Cuisine - Charlie Trotter
• Blank - Author

Fasting and Cleanses

• Curing Gallstones - Herbert Shelton
  
• Fasting, Sunshine, Pure Eating, & Love - Ray Kent
  
• Detoxification - Ray Kent
  

Growing Food

• The Starburst of Life: Biogenic Foods (Growing Sprouts and Indoor Gardening)

Misc.

• List of Fruits
• GMO Foods
• How to Open a Coconut
• Raw Cacao by Frederique Patenaude
• About Dehydration Temperature Setting

Free Books Online:

• Soil and Health Library - This is a specialist library about holistic agriculture, holistic health and self-sufficient homestead living. Most of the titles in this library are out of print. Many are quite hard to find. Here are a few by Shelton:
  • The Hygienic Care of Children - Herbert Shelton
  • Natural Hygiene: Man's Pristine Way of Life - Herbert Shelton
    
  • The Hygienic System Vol. II - Orthotrophy - Herbert Shelton
  • The Hygienic System Vol. III - Fasting & Sunbathing - Herbert Shelton