Cooking with Edible Flowers! Brought to you by ProGiftNet.com

Here at ProGiftNet.com, we hope that everyone has had a smooth back to school season, as we all re-adjust back to our regular schedules. Now that things are more relaxed, we have been doing some research and spending some time looking at innovative ways to use flowers. A while ago we brought you the blog post on using flower in drinks, which we loved! So today, we are looking at ways to cook with flowers, which as you may or may not be aware, is something that has been done for centuries. We have been inspired by lots of images popping up in our Instagram feed lately showing salads sprinkled with petals, as well as by some Italian friends offering us violet candies, so we couldn't help but wonder what flowers can be used, and how exactly to use them. So here at ProGiftNet.com, we did some research.

To begin, we are going to be discussing one of the most popular flowers - roses. All roses are edible, although it is recommend that the white portions are removed when cooking, as they add a bitter flavor which is often unwanted. Growing conditions, as well as the soil, can also have an effect on the flavor of the rose petals. Also, the deeper the color of the rose, the stronger the flavor, which can be "reminiscent of strawberries and green apples. Sweet, with subtle undertones ranging from fruit to mint to spice."1 Rose petals  - both in their regular and miniature version - can be used in a wide variety of ways - from garnish on desserts and salads, frozen in ice cubes to put in drinks, to using them to make syrup, jam, and butter. For a little bit of inspiration, how about sending a loved one ProGiftNet.com's 18 Long-Stemmed Red Roses Bouquet, with is deep red petals. It is a beautiful bouquet of 18 long-stemmed roses artfully arranged in a glass vase with greens. If you are not interested in red, the bouquet is also available in yellow, pink, peach, and white.

18 Long-Stemmed Red Roses Bouquet

Next on our list is a common flower, which is often overlooked, but should not be - the carnation. Even Sex and the City's Charlotte called the carnation a 'filler flower' but it definitely should not be considered this. Carnations in food can be used in a variety of ways, and like with roses, the white base of the flower can be bitter, and an effort should be made the remove this part as much as possible as the rest of the flower can be unexpectedly sweet. The flowers can also be used to add to salads and sweets, and can also be put into desserts. Many of you may not know that "carnation petals are one of the secret ingredients that has been used to make Chartreuse, a French liqueur, since the 17th century."1 A beautiful arrangement that contains carnations is ProGiftNet.com's Touches of Purple Bouquet. The ProGiftNet.com® Touches of Purple Bouquet is a beautiful way to send your best wishes and affection. The Bouquet contains lavender carnations and traditional daisies, that are brought together with purple statice and matsumoto asters. Finally, these exquisite tones are accented with lush greens for a breathtaking look. Arranged beautifully within a glass vase, this bouquet has a simple majesty that conveys your every wonderful wish for your special recipient.

Touches of Purple Bouquet

Last on our list for today is the sunflower. We were most shocked about this news, as is was completely unexpected. The petals themselves, if used, should be blanched first, and then can be used in salads. Like the other flowers we described, the petals should be removed from the bitter base of the flower. The most surprising thing though is the sunflower in bud stage - which according to our research can be "steamed like artichokes" and "tastes similar to artichokes."1 We have not tried this yet, but would be very interested in hearing back from anyone who has! A beautiful arrangement containing sunflowers that is perfect for a friend or loved one is the Sunflower and Spray Roses Bouquet by ProGiftNet.com. This beautiful bouquet of sunflowers and spray roses sends your special recipient a bright gift conveying a contagious cheer and charm they are sure to love! Incredible sunflowers are the main focus of this flower bouquet accented with pink spray roses. This flower arrangement is a wonderful way to send your warmest wishes in honor of their birthday, to say congratulations or to extend your thanks and gratitude.

Sunflower and Spray Roses Bouquet

Here at ProGiftNet.com we hope you have enjoyed learning about how flowers can be used when cooking, and that you try some of these ideas out! We are akways looking to learn new things about flowers, and are more than happy to share it with you, our reader. Remember, whether you need to send a flower arrangement or gift to a loved one down the street, or halfway around the world, ProGiftNet.com is here to help. Place you order online today!

1 A special thank you to this site for providing the information in our research: https://whatscookingamerica.net/EdibleFlowers/EdibleFlowersMain.htm