Clover blossom
Trifolium pratense · Edible flower
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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 freshEveryday bestPull 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.
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