Edible flowers have been used in cooking for centuries to flavor dishes. Today, they are most often used as a garnish or a salad ingredient. Popular edible flowers include peppery nasturtiums and their leaves; delicate, fruity violas and pansies; and perfumy roses. Herb flowers, such as chive, rosemary, thyme and oregano, taste much like the herbs themselves. Other edible flowers are lavender, marigolds, chrysanthemums, daisies, violets and scented geraniums. Many taste similar to their fragrance. Blossoms from both summer and winter squashes are edible. These yellow or orange blossoms are often large enough to stuff. Stuffed squash blossoms are baked or batter-dipped and fried.

Not all flowers are edible, some due to natural characteristics and others because of where or how they were grown and handled. Choose flowers intended to be eaten. You will find them at supermarkets, specialty produce markets, farmers' markets or mail-order sources. Use flowers from your own garden only if you are positive that they are not a poisonous variety and that they have not been sprayed with pesticides.

Avoid picking wild flowers because they may be mistakenly identified as an edible variety; they may be growing in areas exposed to exhaust fumes or other toxic substances; or they may be endangered varieties and thus illegal to pick. Never use flowers from florists since they almost certainly have been treated with pesticides.

Flowers may be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container or plastic bag for about one week.