Which flowers are edible and which are not?

The flowers are a delight to look at in the garden, on the balcony or on the windowsill and provide bees, butterflies and other insects with vital food, but they can do much more than simply give us their beauty.

Many flowers have edible petals, umbels, and leaves. which are excellent ingredients for salads, desserts or refreshing drinks. But be careful, not all flowers are edible, some are even poisonous to humans.

These flowers are edible

Have you ever wondered what chamomile tea is made of? That’s how it is, of the flowers of the chamomile plant. So we eat some flowers or drink their extract without thinking too much about it. But there are many more edible flowers. Here Here are some of them in more detail:

1. Daisy of the meadows

We all know the daisies of the meadows, As children we made necklaces and bracelets with them, and we certainly tried one or the other flower.

And that is absolutely correct, because the white and yellow flowers are full of healthy bitter substances, and fortunately, the flowers with their white petals and yellow buds do not have a poisonous double.

Do not pick flowers from meadows where animals graze, next to busy highways or near old industrial enclaves. The soil there can be contaminated, and with it the daisies.

The daisy flowers of the meadowsthey look lovely on a sandwich and they taste delicious. They are also perfect in salads or as a garnish in soup.

2. Nasturtium

the nasturtium blooms bright yellow, orange, and red and meanders of colors on the walls or trellises of the houses.

The medicinal plant of the year 2013 not only looks beautiful, but is also used in natural medicine, for example for bacterial, urinary tract and respiratory tract infections.

Its colorful flowers have a spicy flavor, slightly similar to watercress. You can eat the flowers as is, but they taste even better in salads, in quark-type fresh cheese with other aromatic plants, and in butter. or even as edible decoration in soups or desserts.

You can also eat nasturtium leaves and use them to flavor salad dressings, soups, or spreads. The dried florets are a good substitute for pepper.

If you want to use the whole plant, you can use it with olive oil and salt to make a pesto-like sauce.

3. Elderberry

Elderflowers are used to make a lemonade in summer But you can do even more with things with them.

Can cutting black elderberry flowers from the bushes in spring from the beginning of May to the end of June and even eat them raw. Since the other parts of the plant should not be eaten raw, it is better to dry the flowers for later use.

Important when picking up; do not confuse the light yellow edible flowers of the black elderberry with the flowers of the lesser elderberry.

Fortunately, both flowers can be distinguished: the lesser elderberry does not grow more than 1.5 meters, the berries have a slight dent and grow upwards (in the black elderberry, the berries hang down). In any case, if you’re not sure, don’t take them.

elderflowers they can be baked, they can be processed into jelly or taken as an infusion.

4. Dandelion

Dandelions can be eaten. Both the yellow flowers and the jagged green leaves provide minerals and bitter substances.

the dandelion aids digestion and stimulates the appetite. However, as with the meadow daisy, do not pick flowers and leaves near busy roads.

You can boil dandelion flowers and make them into a syrup:

Boil about 300 g of flowers with two liters of water. Remove from the heat and leave to infuse overnight. The next day, filter the infusion through a cloth and squeeze the flowers with it. Mix a kilo of cane sugar in the infusion, return Bring to a boil and simmer until thick syrup forms. If desired, add a squeeze of lemon or orange juice.

The flowers also taste good when prepared as an infusion. Can prepare the dandelion greens as a salad or mix them with olive oil, walnuts, Parmesan cheese and garlic to make a pesto.

5. zucchini flowers

courgettes They provide us with important vitamins, minerals and iron. Small zucchini can even be eaten raw. But not only zucchini are eaten, the flowers are also edible and, in this case, a delight.

There are several ways to prepare the zucchini flower. One option is fill them with cheese and steam them. Before cooking, it is important to gently open the flowers and cut the pistil with scissors to avoid making the recipe bitter.

Another option is to fry them, after washing them, drying them and coating them. To do this, you can mix flour, beer and salt to create a smooth paste and let it rest for 15-20 minutes before dipping the flowers into the mixture and frying.

Edible flowers, pros and cons

Since the delicate petals bend quickly, it is better to collect them in an open basket.Before processing or eating the flowers, wash collected leaves and umbels carefully but thoroughly and shake well.If you don’t have a flower meadow nearby, You can buy edible flowers at a nearby organic market, in organic stores or online.Prepare edible flowers quickly so that they arrive fresh on the plate. You just have to consume the daisy flowers of the meadows and dandelions in small quantities, larger portions are not healthy, they can cause digestive problems.

How to prepare edible flowers

The good thing about edible flowers is that there are no limits to your imagination when preparing them.

Can put the fresh flowers on sandwiches or a summer salad, dry them, cook them, turn them into jelly or syrup. Edible flowers can also be preserved in alcohol or vinegar.

Flowers they generally have a rather sweet taste and are therefore suitable for desserts, sweet foods and beverages.The aromatic flowers or vegetables, on the other hand, they go well with stews.

You can also dry different flowers and mix them with table salt to make a floral salt. Well bottled it can be an excellent gift.

What flowers are not edible?

Many flowers are not very digestible, some are even poisonous. Poisonous plants include:

ColumbineChristmas RoseAconiteAngel’s TrumpetFoxgloveLaburnumButtercupWild CrocusLily-of-the-valleyHemlockSweet CloverBelladonna

If you’re not sure if a flower is edible, play it safe and leave it where it is. And if you find edible flowers during a walk, pick a few, so that it will not be noticed that you have been there; the bees need them more than you.