Edible Flowers

Man serving woman cake decorated with flowersDid you know that some of the flowers in your Florida garden might be more than just a pretty face?

Flowers have been used in cooking throughout the world for thousands of years, and you can easily grow many different kinds of edible flowers in your own garden, including nasturtiums, pansies, calendulas, and violets. Squash blossoms and the blooms of herbs like chives and dill are also commonly eaten. Be sure to plant from seed; flowering plants from nurseries and garden centers are usually grown for their looks, and the pest and fertilizer treatments used on ornamental plants may not be safe for consumption.

The uses of edible flowers are numerous. They can add flavoring, color, and fragrance to your cooking. Edible flowers can decorate a cake, spruce up a salad, be made into jellies or bottled with oils and vinegars.

Some more edible flowers include: begonia, chrysanthemum, citrus, dianthus, daylily, dandelion, geranium, hibiscus, hollyhock, jasmine, mustard, okra, pineapple guava, rose, sage, and yucca.

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