Edible Flowers. Do you know about 5 flowers that are safe to eat? Not too many people know that there are a few flowers that aren’t harmful or poisonous. These flowers are Nasturtiums, Squash blossoms, Borage, Arugula and last but not least Calendula. If you find this interesting you might also be interested in our edible plants article.
Flowers that you can eat are categorized as marginally edible which mean that if you eat them they won’t kill you but they don’t have a good taste to them so mainly eaten in a survival situation. A few flowers that have a cute look to them often have a bad taste and can taste like grass such as pansies, Johnny-jump-ups, and violas. Flowers that fall in to the vegetable and herb family tend to have a pretty good taste and make a cute garnish. When picking flowers to eat, you have to be careful because some flowers look like the ones that are edible but aren’t and are poisonous.
Squash blossoms is sometimes used with pizza and some people stuff them with cheese and eat them like that. Growing squash blossoms in a garden are the most easiest ones to keep up, they only open up for one day right before they wither. Squash blossoms have many different recipes to eating them. These orange flowers are usually sold at farmers’ markets are originally from zucchini plants. Usually the squash blossoms are served fried but there are many other ways to eating them.
Borage is a bright blue colored plant that is in the shape of a star that appears in the early summer. This flower has a taste of a cucumber and is usually served over some hot soup or salad. Borage is also known as a herb, it comes from the Mediterranean region and is naturalized in many different areas.
The Calendula flower has a mild flavor taste to it but the colorful petals that it has even the flavor out to be the just right spice, with this flower it is used for hot soups, salads, and slaws and they also brighten up a summertime meal.
