Zucchini Flowers, Squash Flowers & Pumpkin Flowers

Zucchini flowers are bright and cheery and only available a few months of the year. You can enjoy them raw, stuffed or fried and preparing them is a breeze if you follow our step-by-step guide.

The first thing this morning our wonderful Portuguese neighbour Maria came knocking on our door with a basketful of these golden beauties in her arms - what a treat!

So we donned our aprons, got the chopping boards and parring knives out and got stuck into prepping them so that they could stay fresh and we could enjoy them throughout the week.

Whether they be zucchini, squash, courgette or pumpkin flowers they are all prepared the same way, they are after all members of the curcubit or gourd family.

How to choose zucchini flowers

If you are not lucky enough to have a generous Maria in your midst or if you don't grow them in your own garden you are most likely to find these pretty blossoms at a farmers market or at your greengrocer during the summer months.

Your sunny blossoms should be brightly coloured with no shrivelling or wilting.

HOW TO PREPARE them step-by-step

1Use kitchen scissor to cut off the stem, then gently remove any spiny leaves around the blossom as they can sting.

cutting off the stem from a zucchini flower — CUT OFF THE STEM

REMOVing THE SPINY LEAVES from a zucchini flower — CUT OFF THE STEM

2Gently open up the blossom and cut off the stamen/pistil with your kitchen scissors or you can gently reach into the flower to remove the pistil and stamen. The flower is very delicate, so take care not to break it.

How to store your zucchini flowers

As these delicate blossoms tend to close up soon after picking we keep them, one inside the other and stack them.
We then wrap them in paper towels so that they stay fresher for longer and store them in a plastic bag in the fridge.
It is very difficult to stuff them once the flowers have closed up.

placing pumpkin flowers inside each other to store — PLACE ONE INSIDE THE OTHER

stacking up pumpkin flowers to store — PLACE ONE INSIDE THE OTHER

Ok, now they are prepped what do I do with them?

There is a multitude of ways that you can enjoy these delicate blossoms, you can :

Roll them in pancake batter and fry them just like you would your pancakes then serve them with fresh berries, maple syrup, whipped ricotta or fresh cream as a sweet treat.
Stuff them with rice or ricotta and goats cheese as a great starter or light lunch.
Snack on them raw, they are low cal and delicious!