Edible flowers in Berlin in July: where do you get them and how do you cook them?
Flowers: the queens of our gardens and Nature itself! They have so many qualities: they come in a multitude of colors, they give off pleasant scents and some of them have medicinal properties. They decorate our homes, we offer them to those we love, we use them in art, crafts…and cooking. Indeed, in addition to be pretty, some flowers are edible and can be used in your daily recipes. Today, Jule from @julefelicefrommelt will share with you some tips to choose the best edible flowers for summer, where to get them and how to cook them.
Example of edible flowers that you can find in Berlin in July
Calendula
Other names: pot marigold, or Ringelblume. With a subtle citrus taste, smells really good, this plant is perfect for using in fresh salads and sandwiches for summer. The calendula is a healing plant with antifungal, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial properties. This plant is also great for skincare as you can make some cream with it. In the garden, this plant is of a precious help, since it helps the plants close to them to grow better, like strawberries, salad and paprika.
Cornflower
Other names: Kornblume. This beauty can be found in fields: its taste is mildly spicy, with a sweet twist. The cornflower comes in a various color palette. Blue, pink, white…this is the perfect flower to use as an attractive garnish. Like the calendula, you can also use it for skincare and cosmetics.
Nasturtium
Other names: Nasturtium, or Kapuzinerkresse. The flowers and the leaves of this cute plant are edible. Its taste is spicy and peppery. The nasturtium is also another gardener’s friend: when cultivated next to tomatoes and beans, they keep lice away and are good for the other plants.
Annual clary sage
Other names: annual clary sage, or Salvia Viridis, ‘Blue Monday’, ‘Pink Sundae’, Buntschopfsalbei. This sage has the characteristic to present beautifully colored leaves in shades of pink and violet. It smells like guava and its taste is deliciously fruity.
Snapdragon
Other names: Snapdragon, or Löwenmäulchen. Here is another stunning flower to use in recipes. Its aromatic and sweet taste goes along very well with pastries.
How to get them?
Now that you know which flowers to use, where can you find them? Here are some locations in Berlin to find these floral gems for your recipes.
- Tinyfarms: this network of digitally connected microfarms give the regional production the credit it deserves in the Berlin and Brandenburg agriculture sphere. They propose a large choice of local edible flowers, like cornflower and calendula. Some other varieties will arrive soon, like the beautiful variegated sage, so be attentive to check them often!
- Terz Berlin: located near Tempelhofer Feld, this contemporary bistro serves homemade and healthy dishes made with local and seasonal products. They also sell local edible flowers.
- Blumen Marsano: this place is fully dedicated to flowers, so it’s certain that you will find what you want here! Their flowers are attentively selected, and many varieties are represented. They are mostly doing bouquets, but if you look carefully, you can find some edible varieties like roses or snapdragons.
Tips to cook your edible flowers
- Whether as a salad, in the main course or as a dessert, edible flowers will bring a colorful note to your plate. But be careful: don’t cook it for too long, or it will lose its colors. The most common way to use them is to eat them fresh. In salads. They make a nice decoration, but also bring a nice flavor to the dish. Calendulas and nasturtiums are especially great for this. The last ones can also be used for capers, or even sweet dishes.
- Concerning cornflowers, they are great to use in sweet recipes, like yogurt or muesli. Sprinkle it on desserts for a floral and unique touch! You can also dry them and put the result in teas and infusions.
- Did you know you could make butter with flower petals? Simply pluck flower petals and incorporate them in your homemade butter. This lovely recipe will have a lot of success during your summer picnics. You can also use the same trick in a quark.
- Last but not least, edible flowers are match very well with all types of cakes and pastries. Use your creativity to boost them with flower petals and make it even yummier!
Benoo’s special recipe: homemade pasta!
Pluck the edible flowers of your choice into a larger bowl. In the bowl, add the flour, the semolina and 1/4 tsp salt and mix everything well. Then slowly knead in water until a smooth and elastic dough is formed. Put in an airtight container (alternatively beeswax paper) and set aside.
While the dough rests, make the pasta sauce. We suggest this one.
Then, roll out the pasta dough on a clean table top with enough flour everywhere (so that it does not stick) to a 3mm thin dough. It is important that the dough is not too moist, otherwise it will stick together. Then roll this thin dough from one side into a spiral roll and cut off strips approx. 1 cm wide with a very sharp knife. After cutting, unroll the rolls on a floured plate and collect them as loose heaps.
Heat the water in a large saucepan and add a pinch of salt to the water. When the water is boiling, add the noodles, being careful not to stick them together. After 3-4 minutes, the pasta is ready and should best be taken out of the water with a ladle and immediately spread over the 2 plates.
Now just pour the sauce over the pasta and sprinkle with a few more flower petals if necessary. Enjoy!
Find the Jule’s full recipe here.
Thank you Jule for your precious advice!
Her Instagram: @julefelicefrommelt
Her website: julefelicefrommelt.de