When you have a large crop of marigolds from the garden or farmstand, you don't have time to casually include them in complicated recipes or to frantically figure out how to use them up before they go bad without getting sick of them. You want to make the most of your harvest and to actually enjoy it.
Here at Plant to Plate, we like to keep things simple! Here are some of my favorite ways to use or preserve marigolds:
- Add the flowers and leaves to sautés and stirfry dishes.
- Add the leaves and flowers to egg dishes such as omelets and quiches.
- Add the flowers and leaves to soups and broths.
- Add them to muffins, scones, and other baked goods. Marigolds can be used in the dough and/or as an edible floral garnish, alone or with violets.
- Top toast, crackers, crostini, or bagels with them along with cream cheese or nut butters.
- Use them as Decor in an Interesting Salad. (Wondering why I capitalized those letters? Read more about Interesting Salads here!)
- Add them to other salads.
- Add the leaves and flowers to infused vinegar blends such as those made with lemon balm, lemon verbena, or other herbs. Infused vinegars make great salad dressings.
- Add the leaves and flowers to infused oil blends such as those made with oregano or other herbs. Infused oils can be used as salad dressings or drizzles. They can also be processed further into lotions and balms, which allow marigold's skin-soothing properties to shine.
- Make a tea. Marigold flowers and leaves are best suited to infusions.
- Make a tincture. An herb:solvent weight ratio of 1:5 at 40% alcohol is suggested for a marigold tincture.
- Dry them to save them for later. Marigold flowers and leaves can both be dried. See our How to Dry Your Herbs articles here for more information.
Further Reading
Growing marigolds? Check out these quick facts like their best growing conditions, companion plants, and expected yields.
Marigolds are also featured in these articles: