Dried Flowers

[liuzhou]

The local supermarkets carry a bewildering selection of food grade dried flowers and other plant parts. They are intended to be used in teas and tisanes, but I have been known to rehydrate some of them and use them in salads or soups.

 

Any other ideas?

 

Here is but part of what is on offer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 5, 2015 by liuzhou (log)

[SusieQ]

Wow, thanks for posting all of those photos. Unfortunately, I have no idea of what to do with any of these dried flowers.   But what a world of possibility! 

[Lisa Shock]

The lily is daylilly, isn't it? Regular lilies are poisonous.

[Smithy]

Some of those flowers have beautiful coloring.  Could you grind them and use them to season sauces, or steep them for the same purpose?

[liuzhou]

The lily is daylilly, isn't it? Regular lilies are poisonous.

 

 

No, not day lilies. I don't know what you mean by 'regular' lilies. Many varieties of lily are edible. Only a few are poisonous (unless you are a cat.)

 

These are dried day lilies.

 

[liuzhou]

Some of those flowers have beautiful coloring.  Could you grind them and use them to season sauces, or steep them for the same purpose?

 

I agree about the colouring. Especially the forget-me-not.

The colour does often (but not always)  transfer to teas, but tends to get lost in sauces in my very limited experience. More experiments are required.

 

Here is a forget-me-not infusion. Most of that deep blue colour has gone. the flavour and scent is still there, though.

 

 

By the way, that glass has a slight blue tint. In a plain glass the infusion would be more yellow.

Edited December 5, 2015 by liuzhou (log)

[Lisa Shock]

You could try making your own bitters by making extract blends in alcohol.

 

I know that gentian is used in medicine and, is very purple. It has anti-fungal properties.

 

Hibiscus is used in Mexican cooking and is a popular drink.

 

Rose is used in many middle eastern cuisines, but, usually as rose water or fresh petals, I have not seen any recipe for the dried flower.

 

I have made delicious floral liqueurs, but only with fresh flowers. Carnation is my personal favorite.

[liuzhou]

I know that gentian is used in medicine and, is very purple. It has anti-fungal properties.

 

 

All the flowers I have posted are used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).

 

But then, few things aren't ascribed medical benefits in TCM

[huiray]

I wonder if the Forget-me-not pigment is a functional acid-base indicator, like many of the pigments and dyes in nature. Try adding some lye water (or carbonate solution ("kan sui") to it to make it alkaline - does it change color? (Back towards a blue/purplish tint, maybe)  One could try it with some of the others too. Usually acid (adding vinegar, for example) often shifts such pigment extracts/infusions from vegetable material towards the paler side of the spectrum (closed form of the chromophores), when these pigments do have the requisite chemical structures and function as indicators.**

 

Are Clitorea ternata (Bunga telang; 蝶豆) (Butterfly pea) flowers available in your parts?  This is the classic source of the beautiful blue color used in Nyonya cakes and in some Malay rice preparations and is also used in other cuisines in SE Asia including Thai, of course. I know even Amazon sells it...

 

** Beets, dark-color (e.g. purple) carrots, turmeric, etc are examples of "natural" acid-base indicators. Extracts/juices of red cabbage in particular will give a lovely progression of colors as one swings stepwise from acid to basic. See here too.

[liuzhou]

Some more.

 

 

 

 

[liuzhou]

And some more.

 

 

Edited December 12, 2015 by liuzhou (log)

[liuzhou]

Edited June 24, 2019 by liuzhou (log)

[liuzhou]

Edited December 20, 2015 by liuzhou (log)