At what point in growth can I pick Zucchini blossoms and not harm the fruit?

Question

I have seen fried zucchini blossoms on the Food Network and heard the judges comments on it. I have a very small garden and a bush full of Zucchini blossoms and would like to use them. Some fall off and others are on the end of a three to four inch Zucchinis. Can I pick those?

Answer 1

A zucchini bush will likely produce more blossoms than you can use.

A lot of the flowers don't even get fertilized and drop without starting a squash.

4 zucchini bushes grow more zucchini than a family with 5 kids can eat.

When you pick a zucchini flower the plant just pops another one out.

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You should only let one or two of the Zucchini ripen near the end of the season if you want more seeds.

If you let the squash ripen the plants quit setting new flowers and small squashes.

The squash also gets very large and dark.

Ripe zucchini are good for zucchini bread and for zucchini relish.

They are only a good table vegetable while still small and green.

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I used to grow them every year.

4 plants gave me wheel barrows full of ripe zucchini, even after making all my neighbours sick and tired of zucchinis.

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I am not that fond of cooked squash blossons but they are good in salads, even if mild.

Even better are Nasturtium flowers and leaves. They have that watercress flavour, kind of peppery.

Roses are good but you should take the white bit off the bottom of the petals (bitter)

Day Lillies are another favourite, flowers and flower pods.

(some of them are a bit hot though, taste first)

Violets are real nice too, both the flowers and leaves.

A lot of flowers are nice in salads.

You just have to know enough not to eat poison ones.

So no tomato or potato for example.

Answer 2

Once you see the fruit start to appear, you can pick the zucchini blossoms. The flower is just there to get pollinated to get the fruit to start growing. Once the fruit is growing, it has already been fertilized. I would love to get the recipe from you for this...it sounds very interesting!

Answer 3

If you pick them before they pollinate, you wont get any zucchini. The ones with the small zucchini at the base is a female flower, the ones without the zucchini are male flowers..they both need to be open to pollinate and produce fruit.  If not pollinated..that small zucchini will shrivel up.   If you have a LOT of male flowers, you can go ahead and pick some of those but keep in mind that the flowers only last one day.

Answer 4

I was under the impression that each individual fruit appeared out of each blossom.  Without the blossom, there will be no fruit at that spot.  Try a nursery for definite info.