Edible Flowers

Word is slowly getting around that many flowers are culinary treasures. Sophisticated, aromatic, and healthy, edible flowers enhance salads, quark dishes, and butter blends. Many buds can be pickled in brine and used like capers. But be careful: not all flowers from the garden or nature are edible. To be on the safe side, use pre-mixed seed blends from garden centers!

Small flowers or petals look simply enchanting when encased in ice. It's important to first partially fill the ice cube tray and freeze the flowers slightly (since they always float to the top), and then top it off with water to fill the tray completely.

They crown cakes and creamy desserts and are as delightful to look at as they are to taste. The most beautiful are candied violets, rose petals, and pansies. Here’s how it works: briefly rinse the untreated flowers or petals, gently pat them dry, dip them into stiffly beaten egg whites, and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Then sprinkle them with fine sugar on both sides and let them dry very slowly in a lukewarm oven. Store them in an airtight container until consumption (no more than 4–5 days).

This flavored sugar gives tea, pastries, and desserts a heavenly summer aroma. In a pretty jar, lavender sugar also makes a lovely gift. You’ll need 500 g of sugar and 25 g of lavender blossoms (harvested at midday when their aroma is strongest). The blossoms can be crushed in a mortar or left whole, depending on your preference. Then layer the blossoms and sugar into a screw-top or preserving jar and let the mixture infuse for at least six weeks. Before using the sugar, sift out the blossoms. If you're giving it as a gift, be sure to include a label with instructions so the recipient knows what to do.