Edible Dahlias

(Page 3 of 3)

August/September 2009
By William Woys Weaver 
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Once the dahlias begin to bloom, you will be able to judge which ones you like and which ones you may want to pull up. Look for well-shaped flowers with interesting colors. I pull up and destroy all unwanted plants, saving the tubers for salads (they are nice in mixed fruit salads, especially with apples). In the fall, after frost has cut down the dahlias, lift the tubers of those you wish to save, store them in peat moss in a warm, dry place, and then start them in pots the following season.

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To find out more about heirlooms, visit the Heirloom Seed and Plant homepage.

Dahlia Salad

3 large carrots, diced, preferably a mix of yellow and orange
1 pound dahlia tubers, pared and diced
1/2 pound fresh green string beans, cut into diamonds
1/2 cup virgin olive oil
3 tbsp vinegar (tarragon, chervil or dill vinegar recommended)
Faux mayonnaise (see recipe below)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 hard boiled egg, quartered
Mixed herbs (dill, parsley, chives), chopped

Lower-Calorie Faux Mayonnaise

1/2 tsp ground mustard
1/2 tsp sugar
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup cream or evaporated milk
1/2 cup virgin olive oil
3 tbsp vinegar

Put the mustard, sugar, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl and stir in the cream or evaporated milk. Whisk in the oil, and then add the vinegar, whisking gently so the dressing thickens. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Steam the carrots, dahlia tubers and beans for 5 minutes or until still slightly “al dente.” Put the vegetables in a large mixing bowl and add the oil and vinegar while still hot. Let the vegetables cool, and then add the faux mayonnaise so it coats all the vegetables evenly. Transfer the vegetable mixture to a serving bowl and garnish with the egg and chopped herbs. Serve slightly chilled or at room temperature. Serves 4 to 6.

Dahlia Source

Heirloom Dahlias
Old House Gardens
Ann Arbor, MI 48103
734-995-1486 

Know anything about the dahlia variety D. juarezii? Old House Gardens is looking for a source. Please contact them with any info you may have.

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Comments

  • Bill McCaskill 9/12/2009 8:05:28 PM

    Much of the literature says that dahlia flowers and tuber are poisonous. I would not eat them if I were you.
    Bill

  • Aaron Ridling 8/2/2009 4:23:24 PM

    I just wanted to warn people to be careful when they eat dahlia tubers as the tubers may store some of the chemicals you may have dumped in your garden, even if you have sprayed them on the leaves.
    I am a dahlia grower and hybridizer, and I have not tried eating a dahlia tuber yet. If I wanted to, I would have to grow dahlia in an area where it is not going to get any fertilizer or any systemic insecticides. I have a fertilizer injector that puts a trace amount of fertilizer every time I water. The only time that I would spray is when the insects are getting really bad. At the same time that I spray, I usually add some fertilizer to the solution as plants absorb the fertilizer.
    So, my final line is, if you put any kind of chemicals in your gardens, your dahlias will store them in the tuber, after all... a tuber is just a storage root. go figure.

  • Aaron Ridling 8/2/2009 4:02:41 PM

    I just wanted to warn people to be careful when they eat dahlia tubers as the tubers may store some of the chemicals you may have dumped in your garden, even if you have sprayed them on the leaves.
    I am a dahlia grower and hybridizer, and I have not tried eating a dahlia tuber yet. If I wanted to, I would have to grow dahlia in an area where it is not going to get any fertilizer or any systemic insecticides. I have a fertilizer injector that puts a trace amount of fertilizer every time I water. The only time that I would spray is when the insects are getting really bad. At the same time that I spray, I usually add some fertilizer to the solution as plants absorb the fertilizer.
    So, my final line is, if you put any kind of chemicals in your gardens, your dahlias will store them in the tuber, after all... a tuber is just a storage root. go figure.

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