The season of spring brings along warm, sunny days and a surge of blooming flowers. Besides being beautiful, many of these flowers are actually edible. From being a key ingredient in a recipe to being used as garnish, the addition of edible flowers is an easy way to add another element of flavor and bring a pop of color to your dishes. Here are six edible flowers you should try this spring.
1. Arugula Blossoms
Most people are familiar with the green, leafy part of this plant, but its white flowers are edible too. Similar to the leaves, arugula blossoms are also peppery and nutty, but generally more mild in taste. These are well-suited in savory dishes, such as this egg salad crostini or this arugula flower soup.
2. Borage
The bright blue, star-shaped flowers of this herb are said to have a taste reminiscent of cucumbers. Mild and refreshing, the flower can be used to top a variety of dishes, from cocktails to these borage and ricotta crepes.
3. Dandelion
Many people might think of the dandelion as just a weed, but the plant has been used in cuisine and traditional medicine around the world. The plant may also have the potential to help treat diabetes–studies performed have shown that dandelion extract may help stimulate the release of insulin, a hormone that regulates blood glucose levels in the body.
While the leaves of dandelion can be bitter, the bright yellow flowers are faintly sweet. Try frying the flower buds or cooking them down into a sweet jelly.
4. Nasturtium
This plant’s large blossoms come in varying shades of yellows, oranges, and reds. The entire plant is edible, and has both a sweet and peppery flavor, though the flowers are less potent than the leaves. Use both parts of the plant to make a pesto with a spicy kick, or add the vibrant petals to a bed of greens to jazz up the plate.
5. Scented Geraniums
In contrast to the common garden geranium, scented geraniums typically have smaller flowers with varying leaf shapes. For these plants, the leaves are the source of the plant’s aroma. Scented geraniums can provide a wide variety of scents, including, but not limited to, lemon, rose, and mint.
Most commonly used as a flavoring agent, scented geraniums perform well in sweet dishes. Take advantage of their assortment of fragrances, and use them to make something like a lemon-scented cake or a rose-flavored ice cream.
6. Yucca Blossoms
Not to be confused with yuca, a starchy root vegetable, the white, bell-shaped blossoms of this shrub are described to have a taste similar to artichoke. The blossoms and fruit are commonly used in Native American cuisine. As fair warning, some people have reported that eating a large quantity of the blossoms may irritate the throat. Yucca blossoms are said to match well with savory recipes. Try adding them to an omelette or sauté a yucca petal hash
As a quick side note, make sure to buy culinary-grade flowers in order to avoid ingesting ones that have been sprayed with pesticides. If you’re an avid gardener, you can even try to grow these flowers yourself, as long as you confirm that they are of the edible variety. With that being said, edible flowers add a touch of elegance and complexity to a dish, which is sure to impress your family and friends.