Edible flowers

This week in Village class we explored flowers for the song Flowers Sweet. The focus of this lesson is on smell and sensory stimulation. We will feel the flower, smell it, look at it and describe all those things to develop language as well as a connection to the scent. I studied up on 'edible flowers' and actually have many on the list in my own yard! I think I'll try to embelish some salads this week and surprise my family! As you know, babies will mouth anything and everything. And, while I’m not going to encourage them to eat them in class, I do want something safe for them to explore with the numerous nerve endings and sensors around the mouth.

To prepare the flowers for class (and for eating if you choose), I give them a gentle bath in a very mild soap solution. I then rinse them thoroughly in a clear water solution by “swishing” them and I pat them very gently with a paper towels to dry them. This retains their freshness and scent, but removes any types of residue that might be on the flower. You should not eat flowers that you have sprayed or sprinkled with pesticides or any such thing.

There are many websites with information about edible flowers. I like this one because it gives you the pictures and explains what the flower tastes like. NOT ALL FLOWERS ARE EDIBLE!! Sometimes just parts are edible; like tulip petals are edible, but you should never eat the bulb.