The taste and pleasure we derive from eating is linked to our visual senses.

In other words, the more visually appealing the meal, the more satisfying the experience. One way to add beauty and elegance, but not calories to our meals, is to slice, dice, toss, chop or stuff food with edible flowers.

Edible flowers first came onto the scene around 140 BC. They were used to heighten the flavor and add to the texture of foods when spices were not available.

Edible flowers turn the simplest of meals into a special occasion. Add flowers to your soups and salads, float them in your punch bowl or freeze them in ice cubes. Cook with them.

You can purchase edible flowers in the produce section at the (gourmet) grocery store. Or, you can grow your own. (A fun activity which gets you out of the kitchen!) For the best flavor, pick flowers when they are beginning to open, in the cool of the morning. Be sure to remove the pistils and stamens. Gently wash and dry them on a paper towel. Eat only the petals. Remember, not all flowers are edible – some are poisonous. If in doubt – please, leave it out!

Here is a partial list of Incredible Edibles.
Many are common flowers that may be growing in your garden right now!

Cooking With Flowers – A Guide!

Flower Power Facts
Chartreuse, the French green liqueur developed in the 17th Century, claims carnation petals as one of its secret ingredients.
Dandelions were one of the bitter herbs referred to in the Old Testament.

Spread the word … NOT the icing,
Janice

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