Herbal Spotilight: Daylilies with Recipes

It just wouldn't look like New England without the wild daylilies all along our many crumbling rock walls. Effortlessly growing in field, forest, & yard, they are more than just beautiful -- daylilies are a bountiful food source as well!

​​Join me as we take a look at these delicious, gorgeous gems-​

Once again, I would like to remind my beloved readers that Nature is powerful & is to be respected. One must be very clear of WHAT they are harvesting, HOW it was grown [near heavily trafficked roads? sprayed with pesticides?] & how they plan to USE it.  While all types of DAYLILIES [Hemerocallis] are edible from tuber to flower, Asiatic Lily species & Easter Lillies are NOT edible, & are indeed quite poisonous.  It is crucial you are 100% sure of the ID of any plant before harvesting & using it. Also, it is important to only take what you will use &  not to overpick from any one plant or stand of plants in order to ensure their continued growth. Cheers!

Daylilies [Hemerocallis] are perennial plants, native to eastern Asia. They are hardy, growing easily with zero fuss & produce gorgeous flowers. As the name implies, each bloom is indeed short lived, fading after only one day, although the plants produce multiple buds per scape/stem, & therefore supply a gorgeous succession of blooms. Despite the name ‘Daylily,’ they are not actually true lilies. Lilies [Liliaceae] grow from bulbs & are toxic if ingested. Daylilies produce underground tubers, as well as seed pods.

Delicious, Natural Beauties

Wild daylilies are prolific & are easily found all over the Northeast here in America, their bright, orange color brightening roadsides especially all over New England. They are widely used in cooking in China & are referred to as the ‘golden flower vegetable’ there. Daylily buds contain high levels of protein & Vitamins A & C, & their orange color is the result of the cartenoids lutein & zeaxanthin. These cartenoids are particularly good for eye health & thought to reduce risk of macular degeneration & cataracts.

Convinced to give them a try yet?  There are many ways to do just that! While every part of the plant is edible, most recipes focus on the flowers & the tubers. The freshly dug tubers are small & tender, with a taste like a cross between jicima & baby potatoes. Dig up & rinse the tubers, then sautee them with butter, salt, & pepper for a wonderful treat.  

photo:honest-food.net

Looking for a bit less work? 
​The buds & flowers are easily harvested & are truly tasty; they also contain the
highest levels of nutients.  The easiest way to enjoy Daylily buds is to simply sautee them in butter with salt & pepper & serve them as a small side dish. They are really delicious & give a nice bit of pop to your meal.
​This is the way our famly enjoys them most often.  You can keep it simple, or get more creative with their uses too!

I have also heard of battering them & frying them like we do our squash blossoms. I have yet to try this method of preparing them , but intend to soon!  Here is a link to preparing them that way that PBS has shared.  I am quite excited to try this for myself-- & would bet they will be exquisite this way!

photo:pbs.com

Photo:edibblewildfood.com

The buds are also excellent candidates for pickling. Ediblewildfood.com shares an excellent recipe for Spicy Pickled Daylilies
with Daisy Flowers that is delicious & easy to make.  T​hey are sure to be the stars of your next charcuterie boad too!

Daylily flowers are succulent & showy, with a velvety, lettuce-like crunch. Use them as gorgeous garnishes to plates & cocktails. Anyone drinking cocktails at my bar in the Summer is quite familiar with my love of them, as I use daylilies of all colors & sizes to garnish my drinks!  You can also eat them fresh [& rinsed] from the garden-- whole, they give a bit of crunch with a sweet note of nectar from the base of each. Or, peel off & toss individual petals into your salads for lovely color & flavor. The petals also make a lovely addition to stir fry dishes.

I do hope you have enjoyed this little spotlight on my beloved daylilies. And, I hope I have inspired you to give them a try!  They are truly a fabulous & delicious resource that is seriously underused. Pop by the bar at Cupacity in July & August & I am sure to have some on hand for garnishing! [Maybe I can convince Susan M. to use them as a side dish too…] As always, be sure to let me know how you use them & what you think!  Until next time, take care & don’t forget to #StopAndEatTheFlowers