Nowadays, it's not uncommon for consumers to stand in the supermarket and look stunned because their gaze falls on a salad bowl with flowers in it. Often these are, among other things, the flowers of horned violets. These are edible…

Horned violets are a delicious and beautiful ingredient for your salad

Horned violet blossoms - the colorful garnish

Horned violet blossoms are enchantingly beautiful. They come in a variety of colors: jet black, royal blue, purple, rose, flaming red, orange, lemon yellow and white. Multicolored flowers are also not uncommon. This wide range of colors makes them an ideal garnish in the kitchen.

Ideas for use in the kitchen

The slightly sweet-tasting and wonderfully fragrant flowers can be eaten raw, baked or candied. They are suitable for the following dishes, for example:

  • candied as candy
  • on cakes and tarts
  • in fruit salads
  • in flower salads
  • in vegetable salads
  • on cold plates
  • for pralines and chocolate
  • in yogurt dishes

Make candied horn violet blossoms yourself

The leaves are also edible. But they look less decorative. Therefore, the flowers are candied. This is how it works:

  • Make a protein-water mixture
  • Cover the flowers with it
  • Carefully sprinkle sugar on top
  • leave to dry (e.g. in a dehydrator or oven at 50 °C)

Beware of pesticides, fungicides etc

You should not eat all the horned violets that you see without thinking. If you buy horned violets in a pot in a flower shop or hardware store, you should not eat them. As a rule, these were raised with artificial fertilizer. They have also been treated with chemical pesticides such as pesticides and fungicides and are poisonous.

The horned violets from the trade are not designed to be eaten, but rather to look beautiful. If you still plan on eating the flowers, you have an option. You should wait at least a year until the horned violet has broken down the pesticides and fertilizers.

A better alternative is to sow the horned violets yourself. This is quite simple:

  • Fill the seed tray or pot with soil
  • Scatter the seeds over it and press down lightly if necessary
  • Spray with water and keep moist afterwards
  • Germination temperature: 15 to 18 °C
  • Germination time: 4 weeks

tips and tricks

Pick the flowers just before eating. This is when their aroma is at its best and its fragrance strongest.

Category:

Indoor plants