By Christine Swan
Flowers are such a joy aren’t they? Since our relatively recent purchase of a greenhouse, I have gained great pleasure from planting tiny seeds that have grown into magnificent bloom-laden specimens and making me feel like some kind of green-fingered guru.
My pansies, grown from seed, have been a triumph this year and are still blooming now!
As a biologist in a former professional life, I have always been fascinated by plants- especially those that we consume. How did early man decide what was good to eat, and what was not? Perhaps death or illness after consuming a particular leaf, root or fruit, was shared through communal wisdom, much in the way that it still is today. However, some scaremongering does still occur, such as that touching dandelions will cause you to wet the bed, or that nettles are hideously poisonous.
Violet sweets and Parma Violet gin – the perfect floral combination
Many years ago, I bought a book which was to become a well-known forager’s guide, Food for Free by Richard Mabey. The author then followed this up with Plants With a Purpose. His aim was simple – to re-educate people about our native botanical species, what it is like to eat them and what else you could use them for. I found this book absolutely fascinating and still possess my original paperback copy although some of the pages have become loose through carrying it around in various bags and thumbing through it on footpaths. We also now have the advantage of tools such as Google Lens, which can help you to confirm the identity of a species that you are unsure of.
My badger worktop protector approves of these beautiful crystallised flowers purchased in France
I may well go on to write another post about my culinary successes with wild plants but I wanted this week’s to focus on flowers. One of my earliest successes is a crossover between the two. I used to regularly brew country wine and am particularly fond of the ancient drink of mead. Living in a city surrounded by countryside, honey is usually quite easy to obtain. A vegan version could also be made from Agave syrup. One gallon required honey, lemon and orange juice and zest, and a huge number of dandelion flowers. The recipe insisted on just the yellow – and none of the green sepals, which are bitter. Fortunately, the neighbours small children thought it would be fun to rid their dad’s lawn of dandelions, and he was quite amazed at their diligence. What seemed initially to be a small task, felt like a huge one as we sat on the grass, with bright yellow fingers, straining our eyes to pick out the last bits of green. As the sun set, we completed our quest, washed and dried the flowers, and added them to the fermentation bin with the yeast.
Lavender jam – and why not?
I will be honest, I didn’t hold out much hope but kept a positive “well, you never know, it might be OK”, attitude. After several weeks of fermentation, checking the specific gravity, calculating the alcohol content, settling and racking off, the time came to taste the product. To this day, it is one of the finest liquids to ever leave a demi-john. It had a taste of white vermouth – botanical, herby, sweet, and delicious. As a spritzer or a warming winter tipple, dandelion mead was a big hit chez Swan. Sadly, I only made one gallon, the little girls next door grew up and I don’t think would have wished to repeat the unpaid labour of that summer’s day. Thinking about my positive experience, and knowing where my brewing equipment is, I am tempted to make another batch. Other mead recipes call for gallons of cowslips. This is completely impractical and could land you in hot water as, unless cultivated in a garden, wild cowslips are protected.
Orange flower water adds a delicate flavour to cakes, biscuits and desserts
Dandelions and cowslips are not the only flowers that can be consumed in one form or another. Roses, violets, pansies marigolds, elderflowers, and geraniums are all non-toxic. A local vegan restaurant used to serve a Buddha Bowl garnished with pansies, that was a delight to all of the senses. Delicate blooms can be crystallised in sugar and used to decorate cakes. Jams can be made from rose, lavender, violet and mimosa. The French do not shy away from flavouring using flowers. In summer, ice-cream can be purchased in a variety of floral flavours including jasmine. This is such a treat to try during the annual jasmine festival held in Grasse, the heart of the perfume industry.
Lavender and violet ice cream – delicately floral and refreshing
A beautifully presented Buddha bowl with pansies and snapdragons
I recently visited the Cotswold Lavender fields, which are opened annually, during the height of the flowering season, and prior to harvesting. A small cabin sells a variety of lavender scented products. Alongside the expected perfumed soaps and lotions, is culinary lavender, which can be used to flavour cakes, shortbread biscuits and, most unexpectedly of all, tea. Ready blended Earl Grey and lavender teabags are also available. At the small cabin, you can sample some of the baked goods made using lavender, as well as trying the tea, which is refreshing and delicious.
Stunning lavender fields in the Cotswolds this summer
It is well-known that lavender sprayed onto a pillow can aid restful sleep. but, in my experience thus far, consuming Earl Grey and lavender tea prior to bedtime, leads to rapid, restful sleep. I simply cannot stay awake after drinking it.
Lavender tea might help you sleep better
As a scientist, I set about exploring the evidence for this phenomenon. Lavender is widely tolerated and well-known as an aromatherapy ingredient, but what is the evidence that ingestion is safe, and has the benefits widely claimed by so many websites selling the stuff? I went straight to Google Scholar and sniffed out some peer reviewed studies. It appears from my quick scan reading of several articles, that this isn’t just quackery. Lavender affects the amygdala and appears to be linked to melatonin production. Whilst it probably does have toxicity in huge doses, it appears to be safe, and possibly beneficial to consume.
Jasmine tea is well known – but how about violet tea?
Understanding the link between our noses and our brains is a little more complex, but it does appear that the scent of lavender is relaxing and anxiety-reducing. We evolved from being “smelly animals” a long time ago – olfaction is far more vital to a hedgehog than a human. But in our stressed-out, sleep-deprived world, isn’t it worth a try?
Lavender honey- adds a special touch
Flowers are a joy and enrich our lives immensely. I hope that in this little blog I might persuade them you to consider adding edible flowers to your five-a-day, as a delicate and understated floral accent to transfer their beauty to you.
More information
Cotswold Lavender – the fields are open during the flowering season only but the shop is open all year – https://www.cotswoldlavender.co.uk/
Awful Rigours and Wretched Pay 