can you eat yucca flowers

in other varieties and don’t always cook down well. I love it though. I enjoyed this recipe so much I added a link to it from my website. While you can obviously place the flowers on the top of the cake, don’t overlook the sides. How to eat it: You can prepare it in the same way you would a baked potato, though it’s important to remove the skin first. If you want to cook yucca, try frying them in tempura batter then dipping the finished product in hot sauce. To break down the saponins and make the stems palatable, they must be cooked before eating. With regard to the flowering stem of your Yucca the stem can be cut back when the flowers have died and the stem has started to die back and, you will not have damaged the plant Claire by … Everywhere I went, from California to the desert Southwest to Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia and Florida, I saw yucca in bloom. Yes YuCa is eaten more commonly as a food staple (sold as a whole root) whereas YuCCa is mainly used like a herbal medicine (sold cut and sifted). Remove lower leaves as they turn brown. Outdoor planting. Description: A yucca plant is a type of shrub known for its tough, sword-shaped leaves and large white flowers. The closest flavor substitute for a yucca flower would be the inner layer of leaves on an artichoke -- the yellow leaves you can eat whole. I had harvested the flowers this morning to make a Flower Essence following Dr. Bach’s method. The root of the non-flowering plant is used to make medicine. Red Clover (Trifolium pratense) This plant is mostly used for medicinal purposes, and the leaves are … You can also eat the petals, flowers or buds of the plant in the field. Yuca is the plant from which tapioca flour and pearls are derived. I was living in Vermont at the time but I tried it in my garden there figuring that if it grew in Pittsburgh it would grow in the Connecticut River Valley. A light salad dressing, such as a simple vinaigrette, works best with this type of salad. No, dogs can’t eat yucca as a food or as a treat. Also, regarding the question about mesquite flour. We know ads can be annoying, but they’re what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. Eat a single petal, and wait approximately 20 minutes to see if you experience any side effects, such as an upset stomach or irritated throat. The recipe looks scrumptious, Hank. If you’ve never eaten raw yucca flowers before, you should make sure that you won’t have a reaction. They’re downright fibrous (you can floss with the damned things!) The flower stalks of banana yucca are three to five feet tall and produce a dense spike of large, bright white flowers. Some flowers are edible when it is cooked, or processed. ", http://www.proflowers.com/blog/new-mexico-state-flower-the-yucca, http://www.foragingtexas.com/2008/08/yucca.html, http://honest-food.net/2011/06/15/eating-yucca-flowers/, http://whatscookingamerica.net/EdibleFlowers/EdibleFlowersMain.htm, http://articles.latimes.com/2013/apr/30/news/la-lh-giant-yucca-gigantea-elephantipes-20130429, http://drinks.seriouseats.com/2011/07/cocktail-101-decorative-garnishes.html, http://www.eattheweeds.com/yucca-yuca-which-is-edible-2/, consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. I have to say, though: I eat the whole flower, not just the petals. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. I am a chef, author, and yes, hunter, angler, gardener, forager and cook. One of the finest aspects of this desert plant is that it is low maintenance. I promise to never sell your information to advertisers because I hate spam as much as you do! I would like to plant some yuccas near the farm house but am worried that the horses or the cattle could lean over the fence and eat them. The two get confused due to that missing C, but yuca is the plant you may have tried in trendy Latin bistros. (Most people avoid eating the centers, as they can taste bitter.) I started seeing other yucca plants in various gardens there. When you are poked just touching a yucca, it's hard to imagine anything wanting to eat one. This article was co-authored by our trained team of editors and researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. Depending on your location, banana yucca fruit ripens in early to mid-fall. I see you did not boil them first. I just made these tonight and they are amazing! Outdoors, yucca plants planted in the ground need very little care and attention. Omelets, frittatas, huevos rancheros, eggs, yucca, tomatoes and chiles, etc. You can also try gardening with less injurious alternatives. Yucca flowers make an interesting and tasty addition to salads, soups, and other dishes. For you survivalists, the yucca provides more than food. Yucca petals are really good eating. Eating yucca flowers is not so strange as it may seem. And the shelf life? While yucca and yuca are not botanically related and are native to different climates, they do have the similarity of being used as a food source. I hope I am not too late reading this information to try eating the blooms. http://newmexicoenchantment.com/yucca-recipes.html. Apparently you can also eat the asparagus like stalk before it flowers, but I've never tried that, and you can also eat their fruit, but I've never seen the fruit growing locally. It’s not. Helpful 4 Not Helpful 0 They seem to like each other very much. I find it milder than that. Though you can eat the flowers and fruits of yucca when they are raw, the stems contain saponins, which can be toxic and have a soapy taste. Ron . It is just recently that I have learned that there are some flowers considered edible and eaten regularly for quite some time now. I recently made some yucca flower dobladas, which are similar to enchiladas. Very interesting! Alternatively, you could mix the flowers in egg dishes, like scrambled eggs or huevos rancheros. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. It is considered as one of the most non-destructive ways of eating the yucca fruit as it doesn’t affect the growth of the plant. Heat your oil in a fryer or a large, heavy pot to 360°F. And everyone loves tempura, too. Well, surprise! Once they are all in the oil, use the chopstick to dislodge them from the bottom of the pot if the flowers have stuck there. Inside are many black flat seeds, which are the source for baby yuccas. I’m so delighted (: I love this! Here is: Yucca Root (Yucca filamentosa) I’ve also seen them sliced and tossed into tomato-based soups. It also grows in Central and South America. You can also use them as a drink garnish or for cake decoration. Depending on where you are, you will need to go out and pillage some yucca flowers soon. You can serve it with hot sauce, or by itself. Fry for 2-3 minutes, flipping once with the chopstick. We have them everywhere here in norhteast Mexico. If you want to keep the petals intact and are concerned about the washing process damaging them, you can also set them in a strainer inside a large bowl of water and let them soak. A. Wait, don’t picture about eating raw fresh flowers. And for most of that year, the patch looked like nothing more than a living asterisk, a round, spiky blob nestled beneath an oak tree. References. Yucca even grows wild in NYC. I might, if I lived in the Southwest, where yucca is … Most of the plant is edible, actually, and many people eat that asparagus stalk. Feed once a year with a controlled-release feed applied in spring. The flowers also produce a light, sweet fragrance that can attract insects. When you pick yucca flowers at their freshest, they usually have a mild, sweet taste that is similar to asparagus or artichokes. I’m in PA and mine just bloomed! We have sandy soils and yuccas grow wild and are very common, along with prickly pear cacti. I’d like to give that a try given the abundance of mesquite in Central Texas. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. And it's easy to make, too. Follow me on Instagram and on Facebook. The stems, leaf bases, flowers, emerging stalks as well as the fruit of most types of yucca are edible. Do not crowd the pot. Mix in 1 cup sparkling water and 1 egg yolk, and you’ll have enough batter for the petals from 12 to 15 yucca flowers. I had a nefarious plan that involved hot oil. Before you can pick any yucca flowers to eat, you have to be able to locate them. Sure enough, a couple weeks later, the asparagus stalk sprouted a spray of some of the most beautiful flowers you’d ever want to see: Like upturned tulips, they were creamy, slightly greenish, fragrant — end edible. Yucca flower petals are truly versatile! Thanks! Sign up for our free notifications of new articles! Just like the health benefits of yucca flower, we can actually consume this beautiful flower of perennial plants from Mexico. Thanks for that thorough explanation about the Yucca flowers. However, the scent can be quite overwhelming indoors. Sign up for my mailing list and you will never miss a new recipe, tip or technique from Hunter Angler Gardener Cook. wikiHow's. Welcome to Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, the internet's largest source of recipes and know-how for wild foods. If you have allergies or asthma, it may not be a good idea to eat any type of edible flowers. When you are ready to fry, mix in the egg yolk and then the ice cold sparkling water. This is Yucca filamentosa, growing at the Pier 44 garden, Red Hook. It’s got it all: Crunch, unusual flavor, wild ingredients, and, let’s face it, it’s fried. "I needed to know what the bitter part on the yucca flowers was, so I searched google. We think we know everything, but there are so many things right under our noses that we never see. I just collected a bunch of yucca flowers this morning. It tasted fine. I live on a farm and we have horses and cattle. Once I spotted the flower stalk, I began seeing them everywhere. Yucca flowers make such a satisfying comfort food! I find the smell so unbelievably intoxicating that I’ll have a sniff and then stare into space for about ten minutes. "Yucca flowers, meanwhile, have a mild sweet taste to them. For a basic tempura batter, combine ½ cup flour, ½ cup cornstarch, ⅛ teaspoon baking soda, and ½ teaspoon salt. The flavor varies depending on species and on how old the flower is; older flowers can become bitter. Definitely try this recipe. Yee ha! I don’t know about other reasons. Other common names spineless yucca . Some parts of yucca plants can cause diarrhea, which can be quite dangerous in a desert survival situation as it exacerbates dehydration. Thank you! A common way to prepare a yuca is to make oven-baked yuca fries or chunks. Good lord, I want to bottle this stuff. We eat yucca flowers but we boil some of the saponins out first. That way, you won’t waste your time picking a bunch of blooms that are too bitter to be eaten. To learn how to harvest your own yucca, read on! It’s possible to eat Yucca blooms raw, but if you do, you must examine them carefully because they may be full of Yucca moth larvae as well as ants and other local insects. not sure if the Agave flowers are also edible). Yum!! When you remove the fried flowers from the oil, place them on a plate or tray that’s lined with paper towel. Pull the petals from the yucca flowers and snip off any part of the green base of the petal that might still be attached. You can create a striking look by pressing them all along the edges. Why not use all mesquite flour? Last Updated: January 9, 2021 If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Waiting. Consult your doctor before trying yucca. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. The plants usually have tough, evergreen leaves that are shaped like swords and grow on tall, fibrous stalks. Enough geography. Drain on the rack and finish with the rest of the flowers. Above - yucca flowers. Yes you are right when you said they made a mistake and confounded YuCa (Cassava-Manihot) and YuCCa (native american succulent root). When the flowers are first starting to bloom, there may be a greenish tint to their petals. People also ask, what part of the yucca plant can you eat? I met a man who lived on a reservation out near Hemet- he said that they’d dig up a yucca root, make a barbecue pit in the ground, and roast it underground all night, and that it was delicious. here I must say best to describe the flavor? If you don’t want to use the yucca as a garnish but still want to give your beverages a more decorative look, you can also freeze the petals inside ice cubes, and use them to keep your drinks cold. Intervention is a must; otherwise, you might lose your dog. Yes, you can eat it and it can be replanted. Cooking seems to stop this from happening. Never tried it though. Yucca can still boost health in people with diabetes. I first had the flowers in New Mexico. The root is packed with vitamins and minerals, including copper, magnesium, selenium, zinc, iron, potassium, and vitamins A, B, and C. Thus, people often cook with it to give their meals added health benefits. If you’re harvesting a large number of yucca blooms, it helps to have a bag that you can cut the flowers directly into it so you don’t drop any. Such a pretty sight. Because the fruit is green, you can't depend on its color to know when it's ripe. I live in Mexico, and yucca flowers are a delicacy here. My mother, a California girl, loved the yucca so although I grew up in Pennsylvania and never saw one I knew what they were. Yucca can be evergreen perennials, shrubs or trees, with dense or loose rosettes of stiff, sword-shaped leaves and tall panicles of bell-shaped flowers. There is evidence that … Why on earth would you want to eat a yucca flower? Used to harvest one or two each year when had the ranch. But the grubs are rarely on the petals, and it is only the petals you eat. The yucca blossoms had that hit of artichoke leaf in the center, but I missed it in a few bites — next time I will stack 3 yucca petals together before I dip them in the batter, to get more of the yucca taste. It’s a good idea to taste the petals of one of the yucca before you begin harvesting a large number of flowers. You can also use squash blossoms here, too. Then I left town on book tour and was amazed. Eat a single petal, and wait approximately 20 minutes to see if you experience any side effects, such as an upset stomach or irritated throat. If eaten, your dog can experience vomiting, diarrhea, and other conditions. When I was done making the essence I was left with a good amount of flowers still crispy and vibrant…I thought I’d toss them in with my salad or something but then I found this blog and it sounded so good! We never share your email address. Yucca is really poisonous for them. Then I potted the pods on another plant and pounced. That’s the funny thing about foraging: it’s hard to see something unless you’ve already seen it once. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 158,182 times. There are lots of recipes for yucca blossoms in eggs, soups, stews, and my favorite: yucca blossom quesadillas. In most cases, a single bloom will be enough to decorate each cupcake. In Mexico and Central America, it’s common to mix yucca petals into scrambled eggs or fried eggs dishes, such as huevos rancheros. A quick check of the literature and I found that some form of yucca grows from NorCal across all the southern states, and up into the Great Plains all the way into Alberta, Canada — where it is, apparently, endangered. Once you’ve boiled the flowers, you can use them as you would raw yucca, such as in salads, or incorporate them in other recipes that call for edible flowers, such as soups and stews. The root part of it is the part that people most commonly eat. Yucca root can actually be toxic if consumed in large quantities, so it's best to use caution when ingesting it. Barbie: You pickle it. so for years I have wished to try the Yucca Flowers too. Most recipes for yucca flowers involve eggs. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. You can find your link here: http://newmexicoenchantment.com/yucca-recipes.html Thank you for posting this! Ever eat mesquite flour? They’re only around in late spring, and only in wet years. Most of the Native American tribes who lived around yucca used the plant extensively: They ate the flowers, stalks and fruits, used the fibrous, spiky leaves for cordage, and mashed the pulpy root with water for soap. You’ll find the yucca plant in the Southern and Western parts of the United States, including New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Texas, and California. Family Asparagaceae . Here are a few recipes we’ve found for cooked yucca petals: • Yucca Flower Omelet, from Cooking Sessions Those I’ve eaten raw will make the back of your throat a little scratchy if you eat a bunch of them. Genus Yucca can be evergreen perennials, shrubs or trees, with dense or loose rosettes of stiff, sword-shaped leaves and tall panicles of bell-shaped flowers . I’m curious–would using rice flour change the taste or texture? Delicious scrambled with onions, tomatoes and eggs. "I have never liked the taste of the Yucca's fruits raw or cooked. All of the non-woody parts of most yuccas are edible, but the blooms in particular are quite tasty, making an interesting addition to salads, soups, and other dishes. There are 11 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. Spikes that splay out at forehead level and below should be blunted to help minimize injuries. Mixing in other edible wild flowers, such as violets or dandelion petals, can add more color to your salad. Cecilia: The whole shebang, pod and seeds together. near the same as fried Morel or spounge mushrooms !! The Right Flowers in Your Inbox! South Jersey has a few desert loving plants. Can Yucca kill you? People describe it as resembling that of artichoke, but I don’t agree. I thought my little yucca patch was an anomaly, that is was a rarity in Sacramento. And it is a great time to harvest, too! This article has been viewed 158,182 times. In case your dog has eaten lots of yuccas, you’ve to rush to the vet. It is wise with any unknown plant to use the. When I moved to Maine I brought the Yucca with me. My Native American aunt showed me how to cut them, clean and cook them. Almost all of the yucca plant can be used as food. I love this article! For nearly a year, I’d had my eye on a little patch of yucca plants growing in a vacant lot in Fair Oaks, near my house. long and have a hard, dry husk. Details Y. elephantipes is a large, upright shrub or small tree with several trunks growing from near ground level, sparsely branched. Hey there. Yucca seed pods will range up the entire flower stalk. Crack open the pods and gather the seeds. I just picked some up yesterday- think I’ll make a syrup for cocktails. So gather ye yucca while ye may…, Filed Under: Culinary Experiments, Foraging, How-To (DIY stuff), Recipe. © 2021 Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, All Rights Reserved. In ideal conditions, yucca can grow to up to 30-feet tall. Better yet, fried yucca petals are a treat. (by the way ‘century plants’ are the Agave… different than the Yucca but tend to grow close together over here where I live…. The flavor is warm, chocolatey and spicy. Synonyms Yucca guatemalensis. I love mesquite pods, btw. But the grubs are rarely on the petals, and it is only the petals you eat. Is it possible to freeze or can yucca pedals? Cooking is pretty easy, and less intimidating than you might think. Yucca trees grow in the southwest of U.S and in some desert-like areas in other parts of the world. All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published, Not all yuccas are necessarily edible. Learn more... Yucca, also known as Soapweed, Spanish Bayonet, and other popular names, grows in deserts throughout the world. Young short flower stalks long before they blossom are also edible. You can leave the yucca flowers in tact as a garnish for the top of the salad, or toss the petals with the rest of the greens and herbs. Yucca is an evergreen, perennial plant with spine-tipped leaves that grow in a rosette around a thick central stem. The pods with seeds and all are made into a flour. They are about one inch (2.5 cm.) I’m eating Yucca glauca in Colorado so maybe the reproductive organs of our flowers are less bitter than others… but do you happen to know whether it’s for culinary or safety reasons that some authors recommend not eating them? Used raw, the blossoms make lovely garnishes for salads, desserts, and drinks. Some people do use a teaspoon of finely chopped yucca root to make a medicinal tea that is supposed to help with arthritis and other joint pain, though. Once carefully examined and cleaned, you’re sure to find Yucca petals are very tasty. Your email address will not be published. It will absorb the excess oil, so the yucca isn’t too greasy. Vegetal, pleasant, soft. Where can I find yucca flowers and fruit? I just got some flowers from the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. Grab three yucca petals together in a stack, and dip them into the batter. Mezquites the same, although right here where I live they are a little scarce. This recipe may sound weird, and, well, maybe it is, but the structure of it is easy: It's a tempura batter over a flower petal, fried for a couple minutes in hot oil. Yucca (Yucca spp.) Answered by shelley on April 29, 2015 Certified Expert . I happen to be pretty good with tempura batter, and the addition of the mesquite did not screw things up, thankfully. yucca revechonii desert plant. If you do, boil the flowers before you eat them in a recipe or as a garnish. Set out a large wire rack with some paper towels underneath to drain the finished yucca petals. Those Yucca are a diff version than we have in Indiana but can I count on the flowers of both be OK do you think ? Eating yucca flowers is not so strange as it may seem. Currently the best source I have for the flour is from the Seri Indians in Desemboque. The result was airy, crispy and warm. Most of the plant is edible, actually, and many people eat that asparagus stalk. shrubs and trees, with their daggerlike evergreen leaves, seem as though they should be safe from pests. This article was co-authored by our trained team of editors and researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. If you do, let me know how it turns out. That beautiful white flower that grows on top of the Yucca Tree is edible and it's delicious! Like most vegetables, yucca is considered very healthy for humans. I didn’t have the mesquite flour and I just used rice flower…I was a bit nervous because I don’t really get along with the frying pan…but they actually were delicious…I’ll make another batch tonight:). They are ‘just’ blooming here (near Bisbee, Az) Very tasty indeed! [email protected] Mexican Wildflower says. Everyone loves fried squash blossoms, right? Aids diabetes treatment. Yuccas are widely grown as ornamental plants in gardens. Great article. Can I cut the yucca flower for display, and if I do how long will it last? Well, because they’re tasty! Yuca have a high starch content which make them rather dry, so including a sauce helps. You could. Comment document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "ad1dc04c99ac74e2e5704bfa9bcff8f7" );document.getElementById("e09b54477e").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Drop them into the hot oil one at a time, maybe 4-5 stacks per batch. If you’re using a vanilla or cream frosting, consider adding food coloring to tint it. Cut into sections, boil 30 minutes in plenty of water, peel. If any park rangers read this, I only took flowers that the morning rain had knocked off the plants. Thanks so much for sharing the recipe. % of people told us that this article helped them. Larger forms gradually loose the lower leaves to expose a trunk. The stems or trunks of yucca store carbohydrates in chemicals called saponins, which are toxic, not to mention taste of soap. I might, if I lived in the Southwest, where yucca is everywhere and some, like the century plant, sport stalks 30 feet high. It's an impressive plant even if you don't want to eat it. You can use garden shears to clip the flowers off the plant, but the stems aren’t usually that thick so regular scissors can work well too. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/6\/61\/Eat-Yucca-Step-1.jpg\/v4-460px-Eat-Yucca-Step-1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/6\/61\/Eat-Yucca-Step-1.jpg\/aid151183-v4-728px-Eat-Yucca-Step-1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"