You may have noticed at Blushing Cook we like edible flowers! I want to introduce you to Maddocks Farm Organics who are the wonderful small organic flower farm who supply our edible blooms.
Based in sunny Devon, Jan and her husband Stu have worked tirelessly for the past 20 years building their beautiful edible flower farm. With sustainability at the forefront of their venture, they won best U.K. organic product and have been Soil Association organic heroes for more than a decade. They are also one of the only edible flower suppliers to have an organic license.
Over the years Jan, Stu and their family have become great friends of mine. Jan has got used to my last minute orders and daft requests for flowers totally out of season but she's trained me well now! Their farm is my happy place. All the flowers are grown totally within the seasons and organically. The field is bursting with every edible flower imaginable. A heavenly playground for the bees and butterflies, who you see busying themselves collecting pollen from pansies or having a little snooze amongst the rose petals. There are no pesticides used here and each process used makes sure this ecosystem is not harmed.
Jan and her small team hand pick each flower, pack them up carefully and send them to our Blushing Cook Kitchen in London. Here we press each and every one of them. As we work with seasonal produce, this means that as the seasons change, so does the decoration and natural palette of our floral baked goods.
We are so proud to work with such an incredible company who we know puts every inch of their heart into their product and this is demonstrated by the quality of their flowers. If you would like to find out more about Maddocks Farm Organics you can visit their website: maddocksfarmorganics.co.uk.
Here are a few of the edible flowers that are in season as I write this (in Spring). You will find lots of these on our floral brownies and biscuits at the moment...
Daisy (Bellis Perennis)
Daisies are often thought of as a weed but here at Blushing Cook we love them and they are beautiful pressed. The roots, leaves and flowers are entirely edible and often used for medicinal purposes.
Forget -me-not (Myosotis)
A beautiful little edible flower that represents true love. Giving someone this flower means you truly love and respect them.
Pansy (Viola tricolour)
The most beautiful and colorful of edible flowers. We use these on so many of our floral bakes and they press beautifully.
Stocks
These gorgeous flowers fill our kitchen with their wonderful perfume when we are pressing them. Surprisingly part of the Brassicaceae family of plants that includes cabbages.
Borage
Borage, also known as starflower, is an annual herb. Both the leaves and flowers of the plant are edible and are often used as a salad garnish.