Edible Flowers Online

There is little in life that is sweeter and more savory than a good marriage. You want something to reflect that – edible wedding favors do. High quality edible wedding favors are a great way of announcing to your guests your appreciation that they chose to spend your wedding day with you while allowing them a symbolic taste of the sweetness and goodness of your budding relationship.

Besides the rich taste that these delectable favors offer, edible wedding favors have the advantage of fitting into nearly any theme in one of three ways: First, they can fit into theme of your wedding simply because they are food. It’s true. Society doesn’t hold the same standard to food – and especially treats – that it does everything else. Where an ice cream scoop might look out of place at an elegant crystal wedding reception, well chosen edible favors such as a hand dipped biscotti or an imported Belgian chocolate would not.

Edible Wedding Favors are Flexible to Match Your Wedding Theme

Second, edible wedding favors like candle favors can be made in so many different ways that it is easy to find one that will match most any wedding theme or style. Planning an Asian themed wedding? Give your guests chocolate dipped fortune cookies. Having a beach wedding? Your guests will enjoy sea shell and starfish shaped chocolates or a specialty shaped designer cookie.

Edible Wedding Favors Match Any Budget

Likewise, edible wedding favors are an excellent choice because they offer a wide range of price options. For something extravagant one might choose an artisan’s chocolate covered strawberries to give your guests as a favor. On the other hand, one on a tight budget could opt for individually wrapped wedding theme chocolate squares which provide a tasteful treat that is appropriate to the occasion without the cost of a hand crafted item.

Jeanette Shinn is the co-owner of Your Exciting Wedding Favors http://www.ExcitingWeddingFavors.com a website dedicated to helping brides realize their wedding day dreams with tons of tips, ideas, and the latest wedding news stories from across the country, as well as offering wedding favors, and accessories to enhance the entire wedding experience. Jeanette is also the founder and edible design artist behind Layer By Layer, http://www.frostingonthecake.com, a special order bakery serving weddings and other special occasion needs of the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area.

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The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flow’r.

William Cowper

If the idea of eating flowers strikes you as fanciful or faintly ridiculous, how do you feel about broccoli? Or asparagus? These common vegetables are, in fact, immature flowers. And when you leave your broccoli in the garden too long and it develops yellow flowers, it is indeed still edible.

The flowers of most herbs are edible, usually imparting a similar, but milder flavour than the herb itself. Steady favourites include sage (especially pineapple sage) hyssop, basil, borage, chamomile, dill, fennel, chives, oregano, lavender, marjoram, mustard, clover, linden, rosemary, scented geraniums, thyme, sweet woodruff and winter savory. One of the most enduringly popular edible flowers, calendula, or pot marigold, is in fact an herb.

Probably the top six edible flowers, the ones that appear most often as garnishes in high-end restaurants are: nasturtiums, roses, calendula, violets, Johnny-jump-ups (known by herbalists as heartsease or viola tricolor) and squash blossoms (usually from the zucchini). However, there are countless others, too many to list here. Some of your favourite flowers you might be surprised to learn are edible, including: tulips, lilacs, daylilies (popular in Chinese hot & sour soup), the English or wild daisy, carnations and chrysanthemums. The flowers of many fruits and vegetables add colour and nutrition to many a meal. Apples blossoms and the flower of the runner bean are prime examples.

Albeit, and this cannot be emphasised strongly enough, many flowers are poisonous or toxic and unless it has been reliably documented as edible by its botanical name, do not eat it! Also, do not eat flowers from a florist’s shop or garden centre. Only eat flowers grown in a totally organic garden. Plants will absorb herbicides, pesticides and chemical fertilizers from the soil.

Other edible flower caveats: If you suffer from hay fever, asthma or allergies, be wary of eating edible flowers. They could trigger a reaction. If wild-crafting edible flowers, be absolutely certain that you have correctly identified the species. And don’t pick flowers from the side of the road. They will be contaminated by car exhaust. Remove the pistils, stamens and sepals from the flower and the bitter white area at the base of the petal. Check carefully for any insect hitchhikers. Wash the flowers carefully in cool water and drain them on clean cotton or paper towels.

It’s probably best to grow your own edible flowers. Sourcing them at retail can be a challenge, although some of the natural and organic stores now carry them on a seasonal basis. The most common use of edible flowers, just like parsley, is as a garnish. This is a waste. Edible flowers offer a wealth of taste including sweet, spicy, floral, minty and citrus. Salads are the usual beneficiary of edible flowers, but they can be creatively used in cooking also. Try adding borage or calendula flowers to cooked rice or violets to an omelette. Deep-fired sage blossoms are a popular side dish.

Here are a three very simple recipes using common edible flowers:
· Blend chopped nasturtium petals with cream cheese or butter and spread on very thin slices of dark pumpernickel bread for savory appetizers or snacks.
· Honeysuckle Strawberry Sorbet: Use only the Lonicera japonica species of honeysuckle. Cut the pistils and stamens from half a cup of honeysuckle flowers. Blend these with three cups of strawberries, hulled and halved, in a blender or food processor. Process until smooth and then pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze.
· Johnny Fruit Salad: Peel, section and cut two oranges into bite-sized pieces; add one medium bunch of green, seedless grapes; two cups of strawberries, hulled and halved; one apple, peeled, cored and cut into bite-sized pieces, two kiwi fruits, peeled and thinly sliced. Mix the fruit in a non-reactive bowl (preferably glass) and refrigerate for two hours. Serve in four individual bowls, garnished with five Johnny-jump-up flowers in each bowl.

Similar to herbs, many edible flowers have medicinal qualities. Nasturtiums, native to South America, were a time-honoured Andean remedy for wounds and chest infections, being a powerful antibiotic. Honeysuckle flowers are antispasmodic and were traditionally used to relieve coughs. Honeysuckle is also one of the Bach Flower Remedies and is believed to counter feelings of nostalgia and homesickness. Johnny-jump-ups are a purifying herb and are used for skin conditions such as eczema.

Edible flowers offer an abundance of taste and visual delight in the kitchen, but caution should be king. In some jurisdictions, all flower garnishes must be edible by law, but don’t assume this everywhere. If in doubt, don’t eat it and brush up on your botany!

Bruce Burnett is a chartered herbalist who has also won four Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Gold awards for travel journalism. Read more of Bruce Burnett’s writing on his websites:
1. http://www.globalramble.com
2. http://www.bruceburnett.ca
3. http://www.herbalcuisine.com

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By their very nature, all fruit baskets, especially the original ones, qualify as edible fruit baskets. After all, when a fruit basket was filled with nothing but fruit, by definition everything in them was edible and therefore qualified as an edible fruit basket. But with today’s more competitive marketplace, fruit baskets have grown to include much more than food items. In an attempt to differentiate them from fruit baskets that contain non-food items, the term edible fruit baskets was born – again nobody knows exactly where, or when, or who first used it – to signify a fruit basket containing only items that could only be eaten. Nothing drinkable; no wines, no organic juices were included, nor were any jams or jellies or spreads. Essentially, edible fruit baskets don’t contain anything that should be left over after a short-lived, sumptuous feast of its contents.

Some people get confused by the term “edible fruit basket.” They think that the basket itself is edible – and in some cases they are correct. There are types of edible fruit baskets where the basket is weaved out of soft edible grasses or noodles and even coated, sometimes, with chocolate or other spreads to make them more palatable. Granted, this type of basket is usually only offered in certain countries of Southeast Asia and does not account for the confusion here in America regarding the phrase, but it does lend some mystery to the term.

In general, edible fruit baskets are built around food themes to make them more attractive to the public. For example, certain edible fruit baskets contain a selection of organic fruit, combined with small amounts of organic nuts and candies. Others concentrate on foods from certain areas of the world such as France, Italy or China. Whatever can be combined into one edible fruit basket and be thought of as a special treat will be made available to a public willing to try them. The single most popular edible fruit basket today has to do with health. Packed with perfect fresh organic fruit, granola, nuts, raisins, sugar-free candy, trail mix and a bounty of other items all created from the prospective of eating healthy foods, this edible fruit basket outsells all other edible fruit baskets almost three-to-one.

Fruit Baskets Info provides detailed information about gourmet fruit gift baskets, edible, dried and fresh fruit baskets, fruit baskets delivery, and more. Fruit Baskets Info is the sister site of Picnic Baskets Web.

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Edible fruit bouquets are the perfect gift for any occasion. When you send an edible fruit bouquet as a birthday gift, the recipient will always think of you as a good friend and someone reliable. Online businesses make locating fruit online unique due to the many varieties of edible fruit arrangements we create in order to satisfy a customer’s demand. Most online stores offer nationwide fruit basket delivery. Edible fruit baskets are jam-packed full of fresh fruit, chocolate, nuts and gourmet foods.

Edible fresh fruit flower arrangements for summer days. I’m willing to bet that considering time, cost & labor for driving to and from the grocery store, in the store buying all of the fruit, the lettuce, the parsley or whatever edible greenery you choose for a filler, the basket, the liner for the basket, the cellophane that it comes wrapped in, the skewers, the utensils for cutting out the shapes, plus all of the time involved in cleaning, cutting, peeling, pitting, etc. Fruit baskets from us contain only the freshest, ripest, highest quality brand name items available.

Whatever can be combined into one edible fruit basket and be thought of as a special treat will be made available to a public willing to try them. For example, certain edible fruit baskets contain a selection of organic fruit, combined with small amounts of organic nuts and candies. Send a fruit bouquet to your friend and surprise him or her. With the availability of fruit from around the world, edible gourmet fruit basket are available year-round that contain only the freshest ingredients. This make fruit baskets an excellent gift for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, Mother’s Day, and Father’s Day.

Shea McClure is owner of Gourmet Grocery Online and Gourmet Fruit Online - both offering the largest selection of gourmet fruit basket anywhere online.

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If you have been following the prices of edible flowers in your local supermarket this past winter, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to discover that growing your own is very simple and much less expensive. There are several varieties that should be in every adventurous cook’s garden:

The nasturtium is the flower you’ll most often see in restaurants or fancy-food refrigerators. Easily grown, this orange, yellow, or scarlet bloom brightens up a green salad, both with its colour and tangy taste. Nasturtium are slightly fragrant with a sweet fragrance and indeed the initial taste is one of sweetness as the nectar touches your tongue. Immediately after this, there is a peppery taste that will wake your taste buds. I’m told you can make an excellent vinegar by adding flowers to a good white vinegar. Let it sit in the dark for several weeks (light will fade the colour) and then strain the flowers and pour the vinegar into a clean glass bottle. Use this easily-made vinegar to make salad dressings. Do the same thing with vodka and I’m told its peppery taste makes an excellent martini.

Pansies are another common edible flower. The entire flower, including the sepals (the little bud part behind the flower) is edible. Fragrance in pansies is elusive with the blues and yellows having the most chance of having a recognizable scent. It is a mild fragrance and adds to the mild wintergreen flavour of the blossom. A simple recipe that even I have used is to spread cream cheese on a cracker and put a whole pansy blossom on top of the cheese. If you have a special event coming up, a party or wedding celebration, you can even grow pansies in the appropriate colours to complement the party colouring.

Doug Green is an award winning garden author who answers gardening questions in his free newsletter at http://www.simplegiftsfarm.com.

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Flowers as a Cake Decoration, unique and easy to place on every one of your cake creations.

Flowers, both real and artificial are relatively simple to use. Read through this article to get some great tips and ideas on using real and/or artificial flowers on your cakes.

Section 1: Artificial Flowers
Section 2: Real Flowers
Section 3: Sugar Glazing Flowers

1. Artificial Flowers

Step 1: Cut the stems from the flowers, approximately 1 ½ inches from the base of the flowers and leaves.

Step 2: Cut a piece of floral wire at least 4 inch. (If you buy the pre-cut ones, typically they are 6 inches which is fine.)

Step 3: Use floral tape to secure the flower to the new stem.

Step 4: After you have done this to all of the flowers and leaves, place them all together and use floral tape to secure them in any order you would like. (Tip: Do not place floral tape all the way down the stems. Only place enough to secure the flowers, making sure that the individual wires do not come out of the tape.

Step 5: Bend the stems carefully using the flower head between your thumb and index finger. Once you have each flower where you want it, cut the excess stems off of the flowers holding onto the floral tape and not the flowers.

2. Real Flowers

Real flowers can be place directly on the cake you have prepared or you can follow the instructions above to add movable stems to them.

Tips for purchasing real flowers:

Tip 1: Make sure you are using an edible flower unless your cake is for show.

Here is a website that has a complete list of edible flowers: http://homecooking.about.com/library/weekly/blflowers.htm

Tip 2: Make sure that the flowers do not have pesticides on them. You can do this by picking them out of your own yard or just ask the florist that you are purchasing them from. Typically florists have sets of flowers that have never been treated for pesticides.

Tip 3: Make sure you freeze your flowers and apply them to the cake directly before serving or showing it. If you are adding stems, add them as soon as you get the flowers, place them in baggies or an airtight container and freeze them until you are ready to put them on the cake.

3. Sugar Glazing Flowers

Step 1: Fill one bowl with a gently beaten egg white and put some regular sugar in a second bowl.

Step 2: Cut the stems on the flowers or fruits leaving only enough to hold onto with your thumb and forefinger. (Tip: Make sure you are using an edible flower for this.)

Step 3: Coat the fruits or flowers you are sugaring using a pastry brush lightly with the egg white. Make sure you get all parts of the flower or fruit.

Step 4: Using a spoon, sprinkle sugar all over the flowers or fruits. Make sure you cover all parts of the flowers or fruits.

Step 5: Place on a paper towel to dry. This typically, takes a few hours. After they are dry add them to your cake.

You can be as creative as you like with flowers on cakes, they make for a beautiful and unique decoration!

Paula Wilkinson is the author of Cake Decorating Secrets. Cake Decorating Secrets presents and answers numerous problems and issues in everyday cake decorating, as well as provides unique advice and tips. You can visit her website at http://www.cakedecorating101.com

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After a family member’s recent stay in the hospital, you find yourself with a whole houseful of flowers. You’ve heard of using flowers to decorate dishes or for use in recipes. However, before you go plucking the petals off the flowers in those arrangements, there are a few things that you need to know.

Flowers that are said to be edible are only edible if they are either grown organically or treated with organic pesticides like those used on fruits or vegetables. Flowers that are from florists, nurseries or garden centers are grown for decoration only. They’re usually chemically treated either by fertilizers or pesticides. They aren’t safe to be eaten unless you know for certain that they’ve been maintained organically. Do not eat flowers growing on the side of the road! The chemicals used to maintain roadside conditions are deadly and the emissions from cars contaminate the flowers growing there. Your safest method is to grow the flowers yourself, so that you know with a complete certainty what’s gone into growing the flowers.

Although a flower may be edible, it may not be palatable to some people’s tastes. What might taste good to you may not taste even slightly appealing to someone close to you. Also keep individual allergies in mind before testing out a recipe. A little consideration goes a long, long way and could save you a trip to the hospital.

Before cooking with or eating edible flowers, remember to only eat the petals. The pistils and stamens of a flower should not be consumed. Until you’ve tested the effects of a single flower, it’s best not to ingest large quantities of any blossom, no matter how safe it may seem at the time.

Some of the most common flowers said to be edible are apple blossoms, carnations, chrysanthemums, dandelions, geraniums, marigolds, honeysuckle,pansies, tulips - even lillies and roses! There are so many more edible flowers out there, and recipes are available all over the internet. There are also cookbooks devoted solely to using these beautiful blooms.

So, the next time you’ve got some freshly cut flowers serving as a centerpiece for your company, you might want to reach up and have a little snack - as long as no one is watching!

Amanda Baker writes for All Things Pondered Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Amanda_Baker