Candied Angelica, pickled Nasturtium, fresh English daisies …

Salads, soups, drinks, syrups, jellies, ice cream, and main dishes will never be the same when you include these and many other edible flowers in your recipes. Popular in cooking and baking throughout history, especially in Victorian times, many varieties are high in vitamins C and/or A, and may be dried or frozen for later use. And while not all flowers are edible — some may even be toxic — creative cooks can use the gifts from summer gardens and farmer’s markets for more than just the usual bouquets and adornments. Roses, violets, lavender, geraniums, orange blossoms, hibiscus, and lemon verbena are more commonly used varieties in both sweet and savory recipes, and are used to color and flavor cocktails in some of the most exclusive bars and restaurants. Mixed with sugar and water and simmered for light syrups, or combined with butter for a fragrant surprise on muffins and scones, edible flowers are versatile and sure to intrigue guests at your most festive meals.

It’s important to remember that even if they fall into the consumptive category, flowers should not be washed, so be sure to ascertain that the ones you select do not contain bugs or pesticides, and that they were not grown in soil with chemical additives. For this reason, flowers from the local flower shop, nursery or garden center may not be suitable. If you’re not sure what to eat and where to shop for it, local greenhouse personnel can often steer you in the right direction, and many grocery stores stock edible flowers along with herbs, though prices can be high. Note that sold in this way, they are highly perishable, as are flowers in general, so be sure to check packages thoroughly.

Where taste is concerned, edible doesn’t always mean delicious. Ranging from peppery (Nasturtiums) to minty (Pansies) to “perfumy” (rose petals), and everything in between, prepare your palate at first by experimenting with flowers to gently complement food, like salads, rather than focusing on them as mainstays of a meal. Also, be sure to consume only the petals and buds unless otherwise specified by the recipe you are preparing.

Try these recipes for a fragrant foray into the world of edible flowers:

Hibiscus Syrup

Rose Petal Omelet

Lavender Shortbread

Beth Herman is a freelance writer with interests in healthy living and food, family, animal welfare, architecture and design, religion, and yoga. She writes for a variety of national and regional publications, institutions, and websites.

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