Apart from their vibrant colors, Impatiens plants are also edible, offering you to make fancy drinks and delicious salads.
Besides its taste, the incredible Impatiens flower can enhance the look of frostings and cocktail drinks.
So, this article will be very helpful if you have Impatiens plants and looking for the recipe to utilize them fully.
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Are All Impatiens Edible?
There are more than 1000 species of Impatiens, and most bear colorful edible flowers with a sweet flavor.
Some edible species include Impatiens balsamina, Impatiens walleriana, Impatiens hawkeri (New Guinea Impatiens), etc.
Besides flowers, you can eat the young leaves, shoots, and seeds of Impatiens balsamina, but ensure to eat them only after cooking.
These Impatiens varieties aren’t poisonous until you eat them with chemical pesticides, but they taste very bitter.
The bitter taste of the leaves and stems is probably to defend deer and other herbivores that destroy the plant.
Moreover, you and your pets may suffer from stomach upsets and diarrhea in case of heavy consumption.
Thus, it’s best to keep the plant out of reach of children and pets for the betterment of their health and the plant’s appearance.
But, if they accidentally ingest them in heavy quantities, contact the following helplines:
How To Eat Impatiens?
Impatiens offer many edible parts like young leaves, shoots, petals, and seeds as vegetables, paste, tea, garnishes, oils, etc.
However, use clean and washed leaves and petals to ensure it’s free from pesticides and harmful chemicals.
1. Impatiens Flower Jelly
Impatiens jellies are a great recipe if you want to have some fun with children or if you want an amazing addition to any birthday parties.
- Boil juice or wine and pour some Impatiens petals over the hot liquid.
- Pour sugar and lemon juice and add pectin after the sugar dissolves.
- Heat the mixture while stirring for a minute, then turn off the heat.
- Let the mixture cool down, and the delicious Impatiens jelly is ready to enjoy.
2. Impatiens As Garnish
You can create incredible garnishing ideas with Impatiens for cakes, frostings, ice creams, cocktails, and other fancy drinks.
- Beat an egg white until foamy and spread it over clean Impatiens flower with a brush.
- Sprinkle the powdered sugar over the brushed flower and let it dry for 36-48 hours until brittle.
- Store it in an airtight container and use it as a cake or ice cream garnish whenever necessary.
3. Impatiens Paste
Besides food items, Impatiens leaves offer you great medicine for insect bites, skin problems, and inflammations.
- Take a handful of Impatiens leaves and put them in the hand grinder.
- Put 2-3 drops of water and grind the mixture until you get a coarse paste.
- You can apply the paste to bee stings, fractures, joint pain, and even Poison Ivy-contacted skin.
From Editorial Team
Impatiens For Impatient Patients!
Besides physical treatment, the flower of Impatiens glandulifera also works as a perfect emotional remedy for those lacking patience.
Additionally, the plant is included in the Rescue Remedy medicine used to treat anxiety and other mental problems.
