We have lovely patches of wood violets ( Viola papilionacea ) growing this time of year, and I was interested to learn that these pretty purple flowers are not only nice to look at, but are edible as well. And there are multitudes of other edible flowers as well--some that may be growing wild in your own backyard! One particularly quaint way to use these edible flowers is to candy them. They are coated in sugar and allowed to dehydrate, and then can be used to garnish cakes and cupcakes, pressed into cookies, or even as a salad garnish. Certain flowers take to the "candy-ing" better than others, however. Some good choices for this project are: Whole flowers Borage (Borago officinalis) Calendula (Calendula officinalis) Carnations (Dianthus caryophyllus) Clover (Trifolium sp.) Lavender ( Lavandula angustifolia) Nasturtiums ( Tropaeolum majus) Flower Petals and Leaves Basil Leaves and Flowers (Ocimum basilicum) Mint leaves (Mentha sp.) Rose Pet...
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