Edible flowers have become an increasingly fashionable food in recent years and can be used creatively. Flowers have been used in cooking for centuries, from the Romans to the Incas, and have survived to this day.

Edible flowers are a delicious addition to many recipes and contain unique nutrients and antioxidants with special medicinal benefits. If you\’re new to edible flowers, we have an extensive list of common varieties you should try. We chose these flowers because most can be found in the vegetable garden or other plots in the garden.

Please note that not every flower is edible; Some flowers can be poisonous. Only eat a flower if you are 100% sure it is edible, clean, and free of contaminants such as pesticides or herbicides.

List of Edible Flowers:

If you’re wondering which flowers are safe to eat, we’ve provided an edible flowers list with pictures below to help you pick out the right edible flowers for your dish, cocktail, or dessert:

Lavender

A popular flower for cooking, it can be used in many dishes – often sweet recipes from mousses to biscuits, scones to cookies. This medicinal herb has long been used in teas, scallops, and aromatherapy to calm the mind and fight infection.

The distinctive floral aroma is perfect for adding sugar to preserve the summer scent all year long. No matter how you use it, use it with caution as the flavor is intense, and if you add too much, it will border on soapy.

Lilac

Not surprisingly, these fragrant flowers also have an intense flavor. They are incredibly aromatic, with lemon undertones and a touch of bitterness. We love to use these beautiful flowers to make lilac honey, but they also make a great addition to wines, liqueurs, and desserts.

Roses

Rose flowers are very commonly edible in hues ranging from ruby red to shades of pink, ivory, purple, yellow, and orange. Roses have been used for centuries for both edible cooking applications and beauty treatments.

Middle Eastern recipes often include the flavor of rose – either in dried leaf form or in rose water – and the flavor makes excellent syrups and jellies. The flavor works well in savory or sweet dishes, but because the flavor is intense and the strengths of different brands of rose water vary greatly, it\’s another dish where it\’s best to add a little first and then taste.

Carnation Flowers

Carnation flowers are an edible flower that is both delicious and sweet. Carnations can be in shades of pink, purple, yellow, green, red, and orange.

Clove flowers make an excellent addition to rice dishes, salads, sautéed vegetables, or meats. Its quirky flavors also form an excellent syrup-infused base for cocktails and ice creams. You can crystallize the cloves for a simple yet elegant dessert garnish.

Pansies

Pansies are a popular edible flower, both for the variety of colors they contain and for their mild, pleasant flavor. The pansy flower tastes like baby lettuce; Depending on the variety, wintergreen is slightly sweet with hints of perfume and even gum. These colorful little flowers are best eaten raw in salads or candies and used in desserts.

Calendula

An easy and productive edible flower that is easy to grow from seed directly in the garden. Separate the leaves from the middle of the flower and sprinkle the leaves on salads. Colors range from pure yellow to orange and red. Remove faded flowers; the plants will bloom continuously from early summer to late fall.

Fuchsias

Fuchsias are intricate and striking flowers that can transform any meal or dessert into something to admire. Fuchsia flowers range from deep purple to striking reds and stark whites.

Because of their vibrant colors and elegant shapes, fuchsia flowers are used as garnishes for cocktails, cakes, and salads, especially in Fig Burrata Salad and Crispy Prosciutto to complement both sweet and savory flavors.

Because fuchsia sometimes imparts a fruit-like flavor, try using them in your next fruit jam or even in something as simple as a muffin recipe to add a touch of flavor and color.

Thyme 

The delicate purple flowers on your thyme herb may spell the end of your fresh harvest, but that doesn\’t mean your plant is useless. These tiny flowers are softer than leaves and have citrus notes and earthy mint.

This mild flavor makes them a great addition to raw salads. But where these tiny purple blooms shine is as a gorgeous side dish on savory herbed dishes like lasagna and alfredo.

Conclusion

There is no way to tell if a flower is edible just by looking at it. Even some closely related flowers, such as those in the daisy family, include poisonous and edible varieties. If you are unfamiliar with a flower or unsure of its identity, you should not eat it.

If you have edible flowers and are ready to try them in a recipe, here is a great flower to start with. The ingredients are flexible, so make your own and enjoy!