Organic Edible Flowers

Organic edible flowers . Throughout his life, man has learned to eat all or almost everything, the flowers have not escaped it.

Summary

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  • 1 Flowers in our kitchens
  • 2 Existence of dangerous flowers for consumption
  • 3 List of edible flowers
  • 4 types of edible flowers
  • 5 Israeli scientists create edible flowers
  • 6 Cultivation of organic and edible flowers
  • 7 Consumption of flowers in Mexico
  • 8 edible flowers for children
  • 9 See also
  • 10 Sources

Flowers in our kitchens

Some flowers are so common to our diet that we do not even realize it, for example the artichoke ( artichoke ), cauliflower , broccoli , clove and saffron among the spices , not so usual in our kitchen but in others pumpkin or zuchini flowers, in roses and elderberry sweets.

But there is a whole variety of flowers that we can incorporate into dishes as complementary, decorative and edible elements, such as the flowers of various herbs or other ornamentals.

Existence of dangerous flowers for consumption

It is only enough to know that not all flowers are edible, that there are some even dangerous, so it is good to only consume those known or already proven. Another issue to keep in mind is that these flowers to be edible cannot contain toxic products or health pollutants, such as herbicides, pesticides and some types of fertilizers (something that commonly happens with flowers that are sold to decorate environments).

All fungicides, insecticides, herbicides and acaricides commonly used in the garden are strictly prohibited on plants that are going to be consumed, raw or cooked. In other words, edible flowers will only be so if we grow them under the right conditions.

List of edible flowers

The best known are the roses and the yellow flowers of the pumpkins, but you can also prepare good dishes with poppies, carnations, orange blossoms, chrysanthemums, mallows, pansies, jasmine, gladioli, sage or violets, among many others. However, it should be borne in mind that not all flowers are edible and that those that come from a flower shop may contain pesticides. Therefore, it is advisable to consume only well-identified and safe-sourced flowers. The flowers can be kept fresh in the fridge for a week.

 

Types of edible flowers

  • Pumpkins
  • Marigolds
  • Roses
  • Wild rose (Rosa canina)
  • Geraniums
  • Coquette (Bellis perennis)
  • Spring (Priimula polyanthus)
  • Pansies and Violas ( Viola tricolor , V. Wittrockiana)
  • Viola odorata (violet)
  • Tulip (Tulipa)
  • Taco de Reina / Nasturtium (Tropaeolum)
  • Nasturtiums
  • Chamomile (Matricaria)
  • One-day flower (Hemerocallis)
  • Borage (Borago)
  • Chrysanthemums (Dendranthema)
  • Monarda didyma
  • Pompadour (Tagetes)
  • Salsify (Tragopogon)
  • Elder (Sambucus nigra)
  • American species
  • The Mexican species
  • All species of elderberry
  • Clover (Trifolium sp)
  • Violet

Israeli scientists create edible flowers

Scientists from the Vulcani Institute for Agricultural Research in Israel have managed to produce edible flowers of roses, gladioli and carnations, in addition to other varieties, with a calorie level similar to that of lettuce.

The works carried out by Hebrew scientists seek to take advantage of the energy value of sugars and other potentially nutritious substances that many flower petals contain, while eliminating substances with toxic power. The initiative is inspired by the traditional use of rose petals and other flowers in the preparation of salads, common in most of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe , as well as in some areas of the United States .

So far, researchers have managed to match the calorie level of common flowers such as roses, gladioli, and carnations to that of lettuces. The choice of these flowers is due, according to sources of the aforementioned institute, to the facilities involved in growing them anywhere in the world.

What they have not managed, however, is to improve the flavor of the petals. Although in the case of some varieties of roses the prospects are favorable, in the opinion of the researchers, the same is not the case with the other flowers, whose bitter taste may end the attempt at plant improvement. Scientists are now trying to improve the taste using biotechnological techniques given the economic potential that could be derived from its commercialization.

Organic and edible flower cultivation

You must take great care of the fertilization of the roses, it must be with sheep manure, that it comes packaged and that it has been treated with pressure steam, in the case of being the one you buy in the field, that the sheep have not been fed with “balanced foods” or hormones. Fertilization is at the foot of rose plants and preferably that the irrigation water is reused without detergents.

Flower consumption in Mexico

The ancestors of Mexicans used flowers to add color and flavor to their food; Currently, it is possible that we have eaten quesadillas or pumpkin flower soup, however, there is a wide variety of edible species that the population is unaware of, so consumption in Mexico is still incipient.

Experts point out that in countries such as Spain , France and Brazil , there is a high consumption of flowers and a good number of organic nurseries dedicated to producing them, but in Mexican territory such activity is barely emerging.

Edible flowers for children

Calendula officinalis, is spicy and is usually used because of its beautiful colors rather than its taste. Pacific Beauty “Pacific Beauty” is a favorite for the kitchen because it is easy to peel off the petals at once. I could use the whole petals or chop them. Try adding them to cupcakes or muffins. German Chamomile, Matricaria recutita, small, adorable white flowers with a yellow center. They have a sweet flavor and combined with mint they produce a great tea that serves to calm unruly children and is a pain reliever for children who are teething.

 

by Abdullah Sam
I’m a teacher, researcher and writer. I write about study subjects to improve the learning of college and university students. I write top Quality study notes Mostly, Tech, Games, Education, And Solutions/Tips and Tricks. I am a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence or virtue.

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