Edible culinary flowers are useful for a variety of purposes, from cooking to candy making to salads, to decorative presentations on a dinner plate. Hey, it’s summertime and flowers are bountiful! Find out which flowers are safe to consume, and which flowers are best as decoration.

– Nasturtiums – these are the perennial favorite for summer salads. Easy to grow,
they bring an explosion of color to any salad. They are also good stuffed, crystallized,
or as a garnish. They have a slight peppery taste- the entire plant is edible.

– Lavender – lavender is ideal for many culinary uses. Uses include tea, cookies,
syrup, cake decoration, sorbets, ice cream, jelly, jam, custard, wine, vinegar – the list
seems endless. Lavender imparts its own flavor, along with slight tones of citrus.
Violets are perfect for adding to a range of food, as well as serving decorative
purposes. Some ideas include candied violets, violet tea, violet cake and violet syrup.
They can be included in salads, vinegar, jelly, butter or flavored spreads, or simply
used as plate garnish. Look for “viola odorata” or “sweet violet.”

– Rose petals – rose petals are renowned for many culinary uses– in syrups,
decorations on icing, ice cream, dessert garnishes, jellies, jams, flavored butters, ice
cubes and more. Rosewater is a famous use of rose petals.

– Pansies – Are delicate little paper-like flowers that are great adorning salads.
Other uses include floating atop a soup, decorating desserts, and garnishing a plate.
Don’t neglect to include them in fruit salad as much as any other type of salad.
Pansies have slightly sweet flavor.

– Hibiscus – appropriate for salads and for making syrups and some alcoholic
beverages.

– Chive & Garlic blossoms – these are great for savory dishes and will impart a light
onion or garlic flavor.

– Marigolds – desirable in salads, where they lend a golden glow. Not all marigolds
are edible; be sure you get the right kind.

-Dandelion flowers – delicious addition to salads, provided you pick the flowers
when they are young and eat them quickly after picking. They have a sweet flavor,
like honey.

-Carnation – has a sweet, nutmeg-like flavor. Suggested for salads and as a garnish.

Prepare your flowers. There are several things to do before you can use the flowers.
– Remove stamens and pistils if they are obvious (usually in larger flowers).
– Clean the flowers. Shake the flowers to remove insects, debris, and bits of dirt.
Inspect closely to see if the flowers remain dirty and in need of a wash. If so, gently
wash with a colander or tea strainer. Carefully use a fine and soft spray of water, as
flowers are fragile and bruise easily. If the flower is especially delicate, just a brief
soak will suffice.

Article reprinted from: https://www.wikihow.com/Choose-Edible-Flowers