If you’re getting sick of green smoothies (I’m sure we weren’t meant to eat all that kale), try juicing edible flowers! Avocado, kale, blueberries, cranberries and strawberries are some of the more popular superfoods you might be adding to your juices and smoothies. Here’s a look at the edible flowers people have started juicing. We’ve even included a few juice recipes you might want to try.
JUICING EDIBLE FLOWERS CAN BE COLORFUL AND TASTY
Traditionally added to eastern cuisines and used to make teas and wine, edible flowers are becoming more and more popular as a unique and innovative addition to juices, smoothies, soups and salads. They add unique flavors, aromas and colors to your food.
Just be careful which flowers you use. Not every edible flower is a good idea in your next delicious juice. Despite being ‘edible’ some flowers are far from palatable. Others can be particularly bitter if you eat the unopened buds and stems.
KNOW WHAT YOU’RE EATING
It’s also important to know what you’re eating (you can often only eat the petals). Some flowers can be poisonous or covered in pesticides. Other edible flowers should only be consumed in very small quantities. You should also take care eating edible flowers if you suffer from asthma, allergies or hay fever.
Edible flowers can have remedial properties. With this in mind, if you’re on medication, if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding or otherwise concerned in any way about a health condition, make sure you talk to your health care professional or nutritionist before trying any new kind of herbs or flowers in your juice.
COMMON EDIBLE FLOWER VARIETIES
Isabel Smith MS RD CDN recently published a great article on rebootwithjoe.com about 7 common flowers used for juicing. She looked at roses, marigolds, chrysanthemums, dandelion blossoms, hibiscus, tulips and pansies.
* Rose petals add a mild, fruity flavor. The darker the color, the stronger the taste.
* Marigolds vary from a strong pungent flavor to citrus notes depending on the variety.
* Chrysanthemums are mild as long as you only eat the white part of the petal.
* Dandelion blossoms are sweet like honey, but should be eaten sparingly.
* Hibiscus flowers have a strong taste like citrus or cranberry.
* Tulips are mild and sweet (kind of like a vegetable) with a texture like a cucumber.
* Pansies are sweet and the entire flower can be eaten.
There’s another great article by about 10 common edible flowers you could consider juicing on fitnessrepublic.com. Gine McKnight looked into nasturtium, yarrow, geranium, evening primrose, hibiscus, cactus flowers, johnny jump up (violas), dianthus (carnations), squash and pumpkin flowers.
* Nasturtium taste peppery and are full of vitamins (A, C & D).
* Yarrow is known for its healing and aromatic properties and is good in juice or tea.
* Geranium is a well known aromatherapy oil packed with healthy properties.
* Evening primrose tastes like lettuce and is good with avocado, kale, banana, primrose and lime.
* Hibiscus petals contain similar vitamins and minerals to cranberries and can be used in moderation.
* Cactus fruit flowers contain powerful antioxidants and is a well known ingredient to healthy juices.
* Johnny jump up (violas) are considered to be good for eczema and asthma.
* Dianthus (carnations) have been used by Chinese herbalists to aid digestion for hundreds of years.
* Squash and pumpkin flowers can be used in all kinds of recipes and taste like nectar.
Read more in the full articles here:
There’s also a good list of edible flowers on Wikipedia.
SOME EXCITING EDIBLE FLOWER JUICE CONCOCTIONS TO TRY
Here are a few interesting edible flower juice recipes to try at home, courtesy of purewow.com.
GREEN SUNFLOWER JUICE
- 4 organic sunflower petals
- 3 carrots
- 1 piece of ginger
- 1 bunch of kale
- 3 celery stalks
DANDELION GRAPE JUICE
- 4 dandelion blossoms
- 50 seedless grapes
- ½ ounce of agave syrup
- 5 ounces of carbonated water
- Serve over a cup of finely crushed ice
REFRESHING ROSE JUICE
- 4 organic rose petals
- 1 kiwi
- 4 romaine leaves
- 6 strawberries
- 1 bunch of mint
- 1/2 a lime (peeled)
SPRING TULIP JUICE
- 3 tulip petals
- 2 cups of orange juice
- 1 bunch of kale
- 1 lemon (peeled)
- 1 cucumber
STRAWBERRY HIBISCUS JUICE
- 2 hibiscus petals
- 8 strawberries
- 1/2 a mango
- 1 bunch of mint
- 1 cucumber
Read the full article here:
HOW TO PREPARE EDIBLE FLOWERS FOR JUICING
As with any fresh fruits or vegetables you’re going to throw into your juicer, make sure you give edible flowers a good wash first. You’ll want to be particularly careful to remove pollens, particularly if you have any kind of allergies. You’ll also want to remove any wilting or discolored petals and check you aren’t using the stems, stamens or buds if you can only eat the petals.