Edible Flowers

If you put edible flowers on a guest’s plate, they may assume that it’s safe to eat, so avoid using non-edible blossoms and only use ones that are organic, and pesticide-free. Many farmers or commercial growers, grow flowers specifically for consumption – these are the blossoms you want for your wedding cake!

Here are some favorites in the edible blossom world:
Calendula
Carnations
Cornflowers
Daisies
Fruit flowers: apples, cherry, lemon, peach, and plum blossomsHerb flowers: basil, lavender, mint, and pineapple sage
Impatiens
Leaves of scented geraniums
Lilac
Marigolds
Nasturtiums
Pansies
Roses
Squash blossoms
Violas

My favorite are roses! The darker the pigment the petal has, the better the flavor and more tasty it will be.

If you are into adorning your cake with fresh blossoms, consider crystallized them with sugar. So how is it done? Crystallized sugar flowers are made by covering them with superfine sugar. Bakers get the sugar to stick to the petals and leaves by covering it first with egg whites or meringue powder. Petals are usually separated from the rest of the flower to prevent too much wilting. This is easy enough to do yourself, just make sure you get the proper fine sugar at the grocery store.

It's good to know, that flowers with fragile petals can curl or crumble. The hearty blossoms that crystallize well are: violas, pansies, lilac, daisies, carnations, cornflowers, lavender, roses. Being that the crystallized flowers need to dry completely before you use them, plan to make them at least two days before they’re needed.

Most bakers crystallize their own blossoms, but they can be purchased already done, which is pretty expensive. This project is easy enough to do on your own, so consider it!

Have fun and enjoy.

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