Clover blossom

Trifolium pratense · Edible flower

40 pairings

The clover blossom is the rounded, rose-pink flower head of red clover (Trifolium pratense), a common meadow and pasture legume of the pea family. Faintly sweet and grassy with a nectar-honeyed base, the blossoms are eaten raw in salads, dried for a mild caffeine-free tea, and baked into breads and muffins; they are one of the most widely foraged edible flowers.

Picking a good onedrag

Just opened, bright pink and springyBrown and papery, tastes of hay

Shop freshPull the pink florets off the head and leave the green calyx and stem - the bitterness and the fibre sit there. Rinse, dry, bag them in the fridge, and scatter them on late. Extension guidance is moderation: a garnish is food, a bowlful is not.Everyday best

Where it came fromA grower who sells it to eat, unsprayed

Colour of the headPink strong, a ring of brown florets at the base

The squeezeFull still, a little slow to spring back

Green base and stemCalyx green, stem holding, cut end drying

Smell at the headGreen and quiet, the honey nearly gone

What to look for, from just opened, bright pink and springy to brown and papery, tastes of hay.

Preparing