Squash Blossoms

I have some zucchini squash that is blooming and I have been
harvesting the male blossoms off of it.

In the process, I got some of the long stem as well as the blossom.
Is the stem ok to eat?

Can I also harvest the female blossoms once a zucchini is growing to
about 3 inches long, leaving the little squash to continue growing?

If the stem is ok to eat, is the rest of the plant ok to eat as well?

So many questions, and so little time to hunt the answers.

;-)

CanopyCo said:


Squash Blossoms

I have some zucchini squash that is blooming and I have been
harvesting the male blossoms off of it.

In the process, I got some of the long stem as well as the blossom.
Is the stem ok to eat?

I suspect it would be bitter.

Can I also harvest the female blossoms once a zucchini is growing to
about 3 inches long, leaving the little squash to continue growing?

You'd have to wait until you are sure the little squash was pollinated,
and by then the flower would be rather wilted and unappetizing.
You could take the whole thing, baby squash and all, if you were
willing to sacrifice the potential for larger zucchini (6 - 8 inches
being perfect, for many recipes).

If the stem is ok to eat, is the rest of the plant ok to eat as well?

I don't think you would want to eat anything other than the blossoms
and fruit. Again, I suspect it would likely be bitter. The leaves and
roots of the plant contain cucurbitacins, which would make it bitter.
These compounds are what cause cucumber beetles to zero in on
cucurbits, like squash and cucumbers. (Various purified cucurbitacins
are also the subject of research as possible anti-cancer drugs.)



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Pat in Plymouth MI

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