How to Eat Flowers, Part Two: Flower Infused Vinegars

I have Bryan from the wonderful blog The Bite House to thank for inspiring this use of edible flowers.  Since I started this series with a vivid flower bedecked salad in How to Eat Flowers Part One, I think these delicate floral vinegars are a logical next step.  After they've infused, they can be used to make subtly flavored dressings for all kinds of salads.  I've chosen to experiment with tiny bottles and various types of edible flowers so I can see what I like.  

If you took my advice and planted a selection of edible flowers in your yard, or in a pot on your patio, you might already have everything you need handy.  I've used nasturtiums, lavender, carnations and impatiens. Roses are perfect for this project, too.

Bright yellow nasturtiums are probably the best known and one of the most elegant of the edible flowers.

If you use empty jam or mustard jars you can experiment with small quantities.  There is a list of edible flowers in my original post, and most of them are common flowers that you probably have growing in your yard or nearby. Just taste a few petals of any of them to see what you like.  They range from grassy and fresh to slightly peppery and spicy.

This would be a fun and colorful summer craft project for a multi-age group, and everybody gets to take home a beautiful and useful bottle of vinegar. Depending on the flowers you choose, some of them will tint the vinegar in various pastel hues.  Some of the more delicate varieties will eventually wilt down in the vinegar, other sturdier blossoms will hold their shape.

Edible Flower Infused Vinegar

any light colored vinegar: white, cider, rice wine, or white wine, for instance
edible blossoms such as roses, nasturtiums lavender, impatiens, geranium, etc.

• Make sure your flowers are clean and dry.  Put them in a clean jar or bottle, and fill with vinegar, making sure all the flowers are immersed.  Cap or cork the bottle tightly and store in a cool dark place, giving it a gentle shake every day.  
• Let the vinegar infuse for about 2-3 weeks, then remove the flowers, strain through a coffee filter, and re-bottle.  

Notes:  While plain white vinegar makes the prettiest presentation because it's crystal clear, if you are planning to use your vinegar for salads, you might want to go with a white wine vinegar.

Have fun---and stay tuned for Part Three of this series!