top of page

Floral Ingredients - Ramp Up Your Dishes With Edible Flowers

  • info987837
  • May 15, 2018
  • 3 min read

Floral ingredients have been used in cooking for centuries and can be a wonderful way to add colour and unusual flavouring into a dish. The Cooks & Partners chefs are always experimenting in the kitchen and regularly use edible flowers as garnishes and within dishes themselves. Imagine simply scattering edible pansies across fresh buffalo mozzarella, beef tomato and basil. Their addition adds vibrant flashes of yellows and purples which completely changes the look of this dish. In some cases it can add a whimsical naturalistic element to dishes.

Sourcing Edible Flowers

Sourcing your edible floral ingredients makes a huge difference to the quality and ultimate success of your dish. A good place to start could be your own back yard. You know its pesticide free and in terms of food miles practically zero. The best time to pick flowers is in the morning, when its cool. Check to make sure there are no insects hiding inside and be sure to remove the pistils and stamen. Many cooks choose to order edible flowers online, which is fine but check where they have been grown, whether they are pesticide free and how they will be transported to you.

The Cooks & Partners team always source locally grown floral ingredients. We are particularly fond of working with Red Tractor.

Our Favourites

Here are four of the Cooks & Partners current favourite floral combinations.

Roses – all rose varieties are edible with the darker ones having a more pronounced flavour. Miniature versions make great garnishes for ice cream or salads. Why not try rose flavoured Turkish delight is amazing. Rose water usage can be traced back as far as 1200 BC. Its perfect partners are nuts, honey and dried fruits. Rose and buttermilk panna cotta is another great combo.

Hibiscus – this has a cranberry citrus flavour. Give strawberry and hibiscus sorbet a go for the perfect refreshing summer desert.

Lavender – part of the thyme and rosemary family, Lavender tastes woody, with a minty undertone. Try lavender sorbet as an accompaniment to chocolate pudding. This combo may surprise you. Lavender can also be used as an edible element to a cocktail. It enhances both the smell and flavour. Here are 5 to try.

Courgette Flowers – delicate and sweet, stuffing courgette flowers can look stunning on a plate. Fill with ricotta, sultanas and pine nuts. Or try stuffing with a cod pate made by poaching dried cod in milk and mashing with oil for a Mediterranean twist.

Non-Edible Flowers

Its important to remember to always proceed with caution when using floral ingredients.

Quite a few flowers are poisonous and can make you very sick. Additionally, it’s vital that you wash floral additions and ensure they are free from pesticides.

Remember to never pick flowers from the roadside and only ever eat a flower if you are 100% sure of what it is and know it is safe to eat.

The below flowers are not suitable for eating:

Azaleas

Buttercups

Daffodils

Delphinium

Wisteria

If you have allergies and want to try creating memorable dishes with florals, the best advice Cooks & Partners can give for home cooks is to try a little and see how the body reacts to it. You can build flavour intensity over time but its best to be cautious in the initial instance.

Floral ingredients gives you the opportunity to be creative so have fun in the kitchen and start inventing new flavour combinations. Don’t forget to share them with us on Twitter and Instagram.

52 Comments


Emily Willson
Emily Willson
May 13

Capture the chaos and charm of siblinghood with these National Siblings Day quotes. Whether you're the older, younger, or wild middle child, there’s a quote here to help you say, “Thanks for being family… even when you’re annoying.”

Like

Shravan Bhan
Shravan Bhan
May 13

Looking to drive more leads and conversions through Google Ads? Discover our tailored and cost-effective Google Ads packages designed specifically for businesses in India. From startups to enterprises, our pricing options suit all budgets and offer strategic PPC campaign management to maximize ROI. Choose from flexible plans that fit your monthly marketing goals.


Like


Ultrashield X
Ultrashield X
May 10

Explore the Power of Self Healing PPF


Ultimate guide on self healing PPF from how it works, how we can maintain it, and to the advantages it gives to your vehicle and why should you prefer it.


https://www.ultrashieldx.com/blog/explore-the-wonders-of-self-healing-ppf/


paint protection film

best paint protection film

Clear-ppf

Instant healing ppf

Matte ppf

Black ppf

Carbon fibre ppf

Custom cut


Like

Featured Posts
Recent Posts
Archive
Search By Tags
Follow Us
  • Facebook Basic Square
  • Twitter Basic Square
  • Google+ Basic Square
STAY UP TO DATE

Success! You will now start to receive emails from us! If you wish to stop receiving communication from us at any time please click the unsubscribe button at the bottom of our emails.

Find out more about how we safeguard your personal information

featured-on-gfb-badge-4.png

Unit 21 The Talina Centre, Bagleys Lane, London SW6 2BW

 |  enquiries@cooksandpartners.co.uk |  Tel. 020 7731 5282

© 2018 Cooks & Partners Limited. Proudly created with Wix.com

bottom of page