Friday Food Review…Edible Flowers…Part 1…#Bee Balm, Squash Flowers and #Lavender Flowers

I watch all…well most of the cooking programmes…I love Masterchef and Great British Menu and I am in awe of the beautiful presentation of the food and if I can ever-present food that resembles those dishes just a little then I will be a happy bunny.

Lots of the FB and Instagram posts portray such beautiful food often adorned with pretty flowers which seems to be something of the norm now…BUT….. DO YOU KNOW WHAT THOSE PRETTY FLOWERS ARE????

DO YOU ASSUME BECAUSE THEY ARE IN A DISH THAT THEY ARE EDIBLE???

Well, Don’t! Pretty does not mean it’s safe to eat…a bit like mushrooms some of the prettiest mushrooms are the deadliest…and don’t forget we don’t want to eat flowers if they have been sprayed with a pesticide so if you are buying edible flowers you need to know their source…

Bee Balm(Wild Bergamot)

The pink or red petals of bee balm (or wild bergamot) can taste of spice, citrus, or mint.

They complement rice, fish, and pasta dishes, salads, and sauces (such as salsa) and are great added to lemonade, cocktails, or black tea (for an Earl-Grey flavour). Because the taste is strong, only a few petals are needed.

Grow in moist, well-drained soil in the sun or semi-shade. A bonus point of bee balm is that it’s one of the best mosquito-repellent plants.

Squash…

With its large yellow or orange flowers are great fun in the kitchen. They have a sweet taste and can be stuffed with cheese (such as ricotta) and baked, dipped in batter, fried, or eaten raw. You can also add them to omelettes, pasta, and salads.

Lavender…

Elizabeth I drank lavender tea and ate lavender conserve to soothe her migraines. This ancient aromatic herb is said to detox, calm, and relieve headaches.

In the kitchen, the sweet, balmy taste of the purple flowers is delicious in baked goods and can also be used in ice cream. It is also used to flavour meat.

‘With their heady perfume, these tiny blooms are ideal for flavouring sugar and pepping up bland biscuits… Its floral taste works exceptionally well alongside citrus notes – think lemon and lavender shortbread, for instance. You don’t need much – overdoing it can make a dish taste a little soapy…

Thank you for joining me today as always I look forward to your comments x

29 thoughts on “Friday Food Review…Edible Flowers…Part 1…#Bee Balm, Squash Flowers and #Lavender Flowers”

  2. Pingback: CarolCooks2 weekly roundup…20th- 26th November 2022-Monday Musings, #Thai Red Curry with Mushrooms and purple Eggplants, Culinary A-Z the letter L, #Christmas Gravy, #Edible Flowers #Saturday Morning Market…… | Retired? No one told me!

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    Liked by 1 person

      1. Sue Dreamwalker

        All is well… I had an eye migraine no pain…. I keep getting zigzags in my vision… with slight headache.. Thankfully it doesn’t develop into a full blown painful migraine.. I used to have those debilitating ones at regular intervals in my stressful working days lol.. 🙂 So very grateful.. and thank you for the peace and HUGs.. ❤

        Liked by 1 person

  6. Dorothy's New Vintage Kitchen

    I love to use edible flowers in my dishes, but if it is something I haven’t tried before, I always check. Most of what I use I have for years, nasturtiums, bee balm, roses, calendula, lilacs, chive blossoms, etc. Edible doesn’t always mean palatable, and everyone’s tastes are different, so I always advise to taste first!

    Liked by 1 person

  10. Pingback: Friday Food Review…Edible Flowers…Part 1…#Bee Balm, Squash Flowers and #Lavender Flowers – MobsterTiger

  11. beetleypete

    The only flowers I have ever served up on food were Nasturtiums. I used to grow them in my patio garden in London and add them to salads for colour. I made sure to buy ones advertised as ‘edible’ though, just in case. 🙂
    I have eaten ice cream flavoured with Lavender, but the one I tried was a bit ‘overwhelming’.
    Best wishes, Pete. x

    Liked by 1 person

    1. CarolCooks2 Post author

      Hi Robbie…flowers are eaten a lot here generally added to stir-fries or just steamed in the case of the Lily flowers and eaten with a spicy dip…your fondant flowers are beautiful for cake decorations 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

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