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 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…

A fairly accurate rule of thumb is if the flower produces an edible fruit then the flower is safe to eat that is of course if it is palatable…

Rosella Flowers…(hibiscus)

Yesterday I was lucky to see some beautiful rosella flowers (krachiap) in the Thai language on the market they are just in season and today I couldn’t resist and I bought some…Rosella chutney is lovely and the dried flower bracts also make a lovely tea…it always reminds me of the hot Ribena my mother used to make for us…

For the chutney which is both sweet and sour in taste, I use the flower leaves the bright red petal of the fruit. If you follow this link you will find the recipes for both the jam and the rosella chutney…

Cornflower…

The cobalt-blue petals have a sweet, spicy taste and can be sprinkled over salads and cakes, baked in shortbread, or frozen in ice cubes for cocktails…a favourite childhood memory cornflowers used to grow all around my grandad’s farm such a beautiful blue I loved them as a child…

If you have the climate and can sow the seeds now direct or undercover they can be planted in autumn or spring for flowers throughout summer. It’s a good plant for pollinators, too – the bees adore it.

Jasmine Flowers…

Jasmine on a summer’s evening when planted outside your back door the smell just wafts under the nose…a glorious smell…comes from those tiny clusters of white flowers.

The star-shaped, scented white flowers are heaven in green tea. They can be made into sweet syrup (with sugar and water) or added whole to desserts (such as Persian milk pudding), rice dishes, ice cream, and cocktails.

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