Do you have squash blossoms from your zucchini, squash or pumpkin plants? These beautiful large orange flowers are perfect for stuffing and pan-frying for a delicious summer treat. You can harvest just the male blossoms and leave the females to develop the squash for later. There are a ton of recipes out there, but here is our easy one, you can also vary up the ingredients for the stuffing, there is no right or wrong way to make these!
Simple Squash Blossom Recipe
INGREDIENTS:
• 6-12+ Blossoms from Pumpkin, Zucchini and Squash (whatever you have)*
STUFFING:
• 1-2 cups Shredded cheese of choice (mozzarella, ricotta, cheddar, jack, parmesan, dairy-free cheese alternatives, you can also use smashed white beans as a healthy fiber-rich alternative)
• 2-6+ Garlic Cloves, diced
• Fresh Basil, thyme, oregano, savory or any other herbs you may have from the garden, minced. You can also use dried italian herbs if desired, or even add chopped up sweet or hot peppers or crushed red pepper flakes if you like them spicy.
• Salt and Pepper to taste
OPTIONAL ADDITIONS:
• Olives, diced
• Onions, diced
• Hot Red Pepper Flakes, crushed dried peppers, or diced fresh hot or sweet peppers
BATTER:
• Flour (1 cup+)
• Sparkling Water or Beer (1 cup+)
• Oil of choice (we use Olive oil, but you can use sunflower, coconut or other oils on hand)
DIRECTIONS:
For stuffing, mix cheese, garlic and herbs and any other add-on ingredients together in bowl. Wash the blossoms, make sure no bees are sleeping inside (you may want to open them up outside first and check!) Pat dry. Gently open each blossom and use a small spoon to stuff each blossom with the stuffing mixture, and then try to twirl them closed and set them on a plate. Don't worry, they don't have to be perfect! Once all blossoms are stuffed, put in the fridge to rest while you make the batter.
Batter: Mix flour and sparkling water or beer until the batter has the consistency of pancake batter, it should be a bit drippy. Heat up a large cast iron pan, add a little swirl of oil to grease pan.
Gently swirl/dredge the squash blossoms in the batter, then place onto the hot cast iron pan to cook. Turn them over after they start to get golden brown, rotating as necessary to get all sides golden brown.
Serve with marinara sauce, hot sauce, or just on their own! They are so good, you'll wonder why you never made these before! ENJOY!
*Pick the male blossoms to keep more pumpkin, zucchini and squash growing! Male blossoms don't have a small bulb/squash at the base of the flower, the stem just goes straight into the flower.
Are squash blossoms and zucchini blossoms the same?
Yes, squash blossoms or zucchini blossoms both refer to the edible flowers of Cucurbita species, which includes zucchini, pumpkin, and squash. This Cucurbitaceae family also includes cucumbers and watermelons, but their blooms are smaller so are not as easily stuffed (though it can be done.) When making the above recipe, you can use a mix of flowers from your various plants, they don't all have to be the same!
How can you tell the difference between a male squash blossom and a female blossom?
Don't want to eat the blossoms of your future squash, zucchini or pumpkins? Male blossoms don't produce squash, so harvesting them is your best bet! Identifying the difference between male and female squash blossoms is easy, just look directly beneath the flower. Female flowers have a miniature, swollen baby squash at their base, while male flowers sit on long, thin, straight stems. See the male blossoms above and below:
Here is a female blossom below, you can see the swollen base instead of a straight stem: 
More Squash Blossom Recipe Ideas:
• Put them in a quesadilla or burrito or tacos
• Add them to a frittata or omelet
• Toss them with other veggies and pasta
Happy harvesting!
