Like tiny pieces of bright blue sky dropped into your garden, forget-me-nots are one of the few true-blue flowers available to gardeners.These plants are steeped in history and symbolism, and are eas
12.06.2023 - 01:01 / gardenerspath.com / Sylvia Dekker
How to Harvest Edible FlowersOnce you begin looking into edible flowers, you realize there is an amazingly abundant variety of perfectly palatable blooms.
I’m no cook, but I’ve been caught nipping a tiny colorful snack off of plants I find here and there while hiking in the mountains. A surprising number of the blooms you find in gardens can also be found along the trail.
Roses, strawberries, bluebells, and violas are among the tasty, colorful treats I sample – before the berries are ripe, that is.
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When it comes to harvesting these delicacies, though, there are a few things to know to have a good petal-chewing experience.
To find out how to decide when and how to harvest, plus some storage details if you’re in the vicinity of a fridge, keep on reading!
This is what we’ll cover:
Edible Flower ConsiderationsWhen you are considering harvesting flowers to eat, there are a few things to keep in mind before biting down on the pretty petals.
Make sure you’re positive on the plant identification. Not all blossoms are edible!
Harvest from plants that have not been sprayed with chemicals. Don’t eat petals off the bouquet your valentine got you at the florist’s, or picked for you from the roadside, or bought for you at a garden center.
Don’t eat whole blooms if you have pollen allergies!
Before you buy or harvest a bunch, when you intend to use them for edible applications, try a sample to make sure you like the taste and to confirm that they are at their prime, ready to be harvested and enjoyed.
Plus, be sure to inspect the blooms for bugs before you harvest.
Blossoms that are damaged before you pick them won’t keep their shape
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