July 27, 2011: Edible Flowers

Aaron Steil

1st Hour: Feast Your Eyes on Edible Flowers
Guest: Aaron Steil, Education Coordinator at Reiman Gardens, Iowa State University

Have you ever eaten a daylily right out of your garden? “They kind of taste like buttered lettuce,” says Aaron  Steil, Reiman Gardens’ Education Coordinator at the Iowa State University’s 14-acre Reiman Gardens located in Ames, 35 miles north of Des Moines, Iowa. “With roses, pansies, even lilacs, people grow them because they are pretty,” he  says.

But what many people do not realize is that they have a dual purpose — they are edible. They can brighten up just about any meal and create new taste sensations.  “They kind of make a meal look fancy,” says Steil, a horticulturist, who has satisfied his curiosity by partaking of edible flowers.  “Most people are very curious but a little reluctant to try them.”