Fried zucchini blossoms are a traditional Cucina Povera type of recipe from Italy. Minimal ingredients with fresh flowers and the result is nothing short of marvelous!
When my brother was a little boy, he would wake up on a summer morning and run out to the garden and pick all the male zucchini blossoms he could find. He’d run back to the house and present them to my mother.
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No, he wasn’t trying to earn points by being the most thoughtful child, he wanted them for lunch! He loved them so much that it was the first thing on his mind upon awakening.
In case you aren’t familiar with zucchini blossoms or squash flowers or courgette blossoms, or whatever you want to call the blooms from this plant, let me answer a few questions. Those of you who already love them can scroll down to the recipe.
You may also enjoy this baked zucchini recipe from my Nonna Chiarina!
Can You Eat Zucchini Blossoms?
As you can deduce from what I wrote above, the answer is YES! Not only are they edible, but they are incredibly delicious!
What do Zucchini Blossoms Taste Like?
Honestly, they taste like nothing else I’ve ever had. They do not have a floral taste to them as some other edible flowers do. If you want to know, there’s only one way to find out!
Can I buy Squash Blossoms?
That all depends on where you live. As you can see from the photo above, zucchini blossoms are plentiful at the markets in Italy when they’re in season. However, if you’re like me and live in the US, sometimes you can find them. I’ve seen them at farmer’s markets here in LA, and even saw them in a grocery store once! I was so excited, but I will warn you, this is rare.
Your best bet, if you live somewhere where these glorious blossoms aren’t sold, is to grow them (if you have a garden spot), or ask a friend who grows zucchini to share! Many people aren’t even aware that the flowers are not only edible, but delicious.
Do Zucchini Blossoms Become Zucchini?
This is actually an important question if you are growing zucchini for the vegetable, and the answer is yes and no. When picking squash blossoms to cook, look for the blooms without a baby zucchini at the end of it. These are what I referred to as the male flowers. They will bloom, wilt and die; no fruit will come of them, but they help fertilize the flowers so the plant will bear fruit. The female flowers are also edible, but stick to the males so you don’t disturb the fruit production.
Here’s an Italian zucchini recipe to try!
How do you eat Zucchini Flowers?
I’m glad you asked! Let’s get to the recipe from my Nonna Chiarina. This is a traditional and authentic way to prepare the fried zucchini blossoms. They can also be stuffed with cheese and anchovies, battered then fried, which is a traditional Roman way of preparing them.
Can you Stuff Zucchini Blossoms?
Yes! Check out my recipe for mozzarella cheese stuffed zucchini flowers!
My Zia Iolanda made fried zucchini blossoms when I was visiting her in Italy this past June. She deep fried them, which you can also do, but I just pan fry them. They’re like zucchini flower fritters, for lack of a better name.
Traditional Italian Fried Zucchini Blossoms
recipe by Christina Conte (from my Nonna Chiarina)
Ingredients
- 8 to 10 zucchini blossoms (or as many as you want to make)
- 1/3 cup (2 oz) flour
- 2 good pinches of salt
- about 3 oz water (sparkling water is optional)
- 1 tsp milk (helps give a golden color, but omit for lactose intolerance)
- olive oil for frying
Equipment: whisk, nonstick pan or cast iron pan
Note: the amount of batter is more than you will need. Also, my Nonna never added anything to the flour and water mixture, but if you’d like to use sparkling water or a pinch of baking soda, go ahead).
Clean the Blossoms.
Remove the pistil and stem of the flowers, then rinse gently and dry on paper towel. It’s okay if they tear a little or you open them completely. It’s easier to make sure there’s no dirt or bugs inside this way.
Make the Batter.
Put the flour and salt in a bowl which you can dip the flowers into. Add the milk, and then the water a little at a time and beat with a whisk or fork. Keep adding the water until a thick consistency is reached. Beat well for another minute or two. Set aside to rest for 10 minutes or longer.
Dip the Flowers.
Preheat the oil in the frying pan. It should be hot when adding the flowers. You can test it with a drop of batter if you’re unsure.
Dip the flowers into the batter, coating well, then add to the hot oil in the pan.
Fry the Flowers.
Add the flowers to the hot oil in the pan. Again, you don’t have to deep fry these. Pan frying in a little olive oil is just as good.
Fry until cooked on one side, then turn and continue to cook until ready.
Remove and place on paper towel lined plate.
Best eaten while still hot/warm.
Traditional Italian Fried Zucchini Blossoms (Courgette/Squash Flowers)
Crispy fried zucchini blossoms made in a traditional Itailan way.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup (2 oz) flour
- 2 good pinches of salt
- about 3 oz water (sparkling water is optional)
- 1 tsp milk (omit for lactose intolerance)
- 8 to 10 zucchini blossoms (or as many as you want to make)
- olive oil for frying
Instructions
Clean the Blossoms.
- Remove the pistil and stem of the flowers, then rinse gently and dry on paper towel. It's okay if they tear a little or you open them completely. It's easier to make sure there's no dirt or bugs inside this way.
Make the Batter.
- Put the flour and salt in a bowl which you can dip the flowers into. Add the milk, and then the water a little at a time and beat with a whisk or fork.
- Keep adding the water until a thick consistency is reached. Beat well for another minute or two.
- Set aside to rest for 10 minutes or longer.
Dip the Flowers.
- Preheat the oil in the frying pan. It should be hot when adding the flowers. You can test it with a drop of batter if you're unsure.
- Dip the flowers into the batter, coating well, then add to the hot oil in the pan.
Fry the Flowers.
- Add the flowers to the hot oil in the pan. Again, you don't have to deep fry these. Pan frying in a little olive oil is just as good.
- Fry until cooked on one side, then turn and continue to cook until ready.
- Remove and place on paper towel lined plate. Best eaten while still hot/warm.
Notes
Note: the amount of batter is more than you will need. Also, my Nonna never added anything to the flour and water mixture, but if you'd like to use sparkling water or a pinch of baking soda, go ahead).
Have a glut of zucchini? Here’s a delicious recipe
from Maria at She Loves Biscotti!
So, what do you call these blooms? I call them zucchini flowers.
Hi. thanks for this recipe! I just want to say that picture of your Nanna or your Zia, dont know wich, with the big yellow blossoms is so lovely. Even she is dressed all in flowers too. Lovely Nan. Or Zia. Also the recipe is simple enough that even i managed it. My frying is not so good, a lot of smoke – too hot oil, but i definitely would not have been able to follow timings so im glad it did not say ‘fry for 2mintues’, that may work for a more exact recipe, but for frying blossoms it really is by feel, and look, there’s no other way. And i also eat them stuffed with ricotta and leon zest. Some salt and pepper and all is good.
That’s my Zia Iolanda, Ava! Thank you so much, she’s very sweet. I’m so glad you liked the recipe, and yes, just lower the heat if the oil is smoking, but an easy fix :) They are so good, I can’t wait for them this summer!
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Hi there, what cheese would you use to stuff them with? And would it be one anchovy per flower?
Hi Olly, I’d use mozzarella or scarmorza, or any similar type melty cheese. One anchovy or less per flower, yes! I take it you’re “Down Under”? :) Enjoy!
Could you share a suggested stuffing that you, your Nonna Chiarina or your Zia Iolanda would use if you chose to?
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Why must we remove the stamens/pistils?
Hi Ann, it’s not a MUST, but my family has always removed them. Sort of how we dont’ eat the core of an apple or pear? Not as hard as those, but same principle. Enjoy!
Maybe I’m alone in my naivete when it comes to frying something, but it’s incredibly vague to say “fry until cooked” and “cook until ready”! How do I know those things are accomplished? At the very least, approximately how long might that be? 30 seconds? 5 minutes?
Hi Dannah, you’re correct, I’m assuming that there is a tiny bit of cooking experience involved since this isn’t deep frying, but pan frying. If I specify a time, then I’m in the same quandary as someone will write to me and say, “I fried these for x minutes, but they were still raw.” This is the reason for my “vagueness” for lack of a better term.
Depending on the type of pan used, how hot the oil is when the flowers go in, how thick or thin the batter is, how much milk is in the batter will make a difference in the length of time that the flowers will cook. What I can say is from my experience that I’ve never cooked them for only 30 seconds or as long as 5 minutes. You’ll see the raw batter cooking and changing, so when the bottom edges look like they’re cooked, you can flip them and see how the color looks, then continue to fry until the other side is cooked through (no raw batter). If nothing else, you can fry one, break it open and look at it. If the batter isn’t fully cooked, continue to fry it. If it’s ready, taste it, and this way you can even adjust the seasoning for the rest of the batter for the flowers. Cooking is like anything else, the more you do it, the more you’ll learn and be more comfortable in your skill. Let me know how it goes! CC
My grandmother called them flor di gagootz (cacuzza). It’s a long squash that you can buy in parts of NY that were heavily settled by Pugliese and Basilicata people. But she’d use eggplant or zucchini blossoms – whatever was available. I think she even cut some of my mother’s daylilies one time (the daylily flower is edible. Other lilies are not).
I was searching for a recipe similar to what I remember, but most of them were basically all parmesan cheese – hardly authentic cocina povera. Grandma’s people weren’t pouring a week’s earnings into cheese from Parma for squash flower fritters.
This is very close to her recipe – the flavor comes from the flowers. Glad I found your site.
Thanks, Regina! Absolutely agree! Most people who haven’t grown up within a poor Italian family don’t really understand “cucina povera” cooking. In the dialect I speak, we say, “cucuzz'” for zucchini, so yes, fior’ di cucuzz’ :) Enjoy and hope you enjoy my recipes!
If you are ever out on Eastern Long Island, you can sometimes find cacuzza squash in the farmstands late summer and early Fall. They are very similar to zucchini in glavor and texture, but firmer with smaller seeds. And the size of the squash is different – cacuzza are 3-4 feet long or larger and maybe 4-5 in in diameter. We had a bit of a puzzle wrestling one into the trunk of the car. If you like zucchini, they’re great (but that’s a whole lotta squash!).
My aunt grows them in Italy, and yes, a whole lotta squash! Haha! Thanks, Regina!
[…] A great way to enjoy any extra zucchini blossoms. […]
[…] in the same way. Very delicate and smooth, if your zucchini is flowering, consider making a classic Italian dish instead of just throwing […]
OMG! I haven’t made these in years and my neighbor dropped off a dozen last night. I Googled recipes and chose yours! They were delicious! Gone as fast as they hit the paper towels! We sprinkle a little powdered sugar on top! Scrumptious! Thank you for an easy delicious recipe!
I’m so happy you chose mine, Pamela! Aren’t they so delicious! Hard to imagine a little flower can have so much flavor! Thank you! (If you didn’t already, if you could click the star rating above the PRINT button, I’d really appreciate it!) :)
I am fortunate to live near a farm that has these for sale nealy every day in the summer season. I use your recipe (keep it simple), however, I use sparkling water as it adds a little mystique for my family (LOL). I am making two dozen for part of our dinner tonight.
Yes, you can absolutely do that! Lucky you, Maria! Sounds wonderful! Enjoy and thank you! :)
Anyone know how long I can keep them in the fridge before making?
The flowers don’t last long, Ashley. My recommendation is not to put them in the fridge at all, unfortunately.
I use to make the flowers every day… Then I decided to clean dry and wrap them in a damp paper towel and place them in a plastic bag (not sealed). they will stay nicely for about 5 /6 days but definitely no longer.
Oh, that’s great to know, thanks, Dona!
[…] in the same way. Very delicate and smooth, if your zucchini is flowering, consider making a classic Italian dish instead of just throwing […]
[…] identical approach. Very delicate and clean, if your zucchini is flowering, think about making a classic Italian dish as a substitute of simply throwing […]
[…] in the same way. Very delicate and smooth, if your zucchini is flowering, consider making a classic Italian dish instead of just throwing […]
[…] in the same way. Very delicate and smooth, if your zucchini is flowering, consider making a classic Italian dish instead of just throwing […]
I came to love these when I married into a northern Italian family. The only way I know follows this but they added anisett extract. I picked some this morning a will try this today along with cold zucchini with mint and garlic.
That’s interesting! Never heard of that. Enjoy, Denise!
Christina can I make these stuffed (morning) and leave them in the refrigerator till dinner then fry them?
The only problem with that, Barbara, is that the flowers are very delicate and although they may be okay in the fridge, they may also wither (I don’t know, since I’ve never done this.) It’s easy to find out, though! You could test it with just one flower, in case it doesn’t work. Let me know :)
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Some basic instructions like how hot to preheat the saute pan would have been helpful, having said that, through trial and error I was able to enjoy some delicious zucchini blossoms, the simple things are the best things, thank you for the lovely recipe.
Sorry, Thomas! I incorrectly assumed most readers would know the pan should be quite hot to fry these. I’ll edit the instructions now, but am glad you succeeded! Aren’t they just heavenly? Thanks for the note. CC
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[…] Recipe: Traditional Italian Fried Zucchini Blossoms […]
Imagine growing up with such delicious wishes when you wake up in the morning! That certainly sounded an idyllic childhood. I didn’t see courgette blossoms until I met hubby and moved to France and so had no idea this blooming delicacy existed. Yours looks absolutely scrumptious, Christina.
My courgette plants are still flowering and I was looking at how to cook them. Perfect!
Awesome, hope you love them as much as I do!
I adore fried courgette blossoms, one of my favourites. I really like them when the flower has been stuffed with some light filling, maybe ricotta lemon type ones. Your batter looks so light and crisp. When we’ve grown them, we’ve tried to help the pollination by using a cotton bud to transfer pollen to female flowers, before we pick the males to eat! :-D
I stuff and bake zucchini blossoms and have yet to fry them. Looks so delicious.
And I have never baked them! Must try!
These fritters do indeed look absolutely marvellous. I’ve added courgette flowers to stir-fries, but I’ve never made or even eaten them as fritters. Now I really really want to.
Oh yes, they’re so popular in Italy! I hope you give them a try! :)
My family and I just adore fried zucchini blossoms. We enjoy them fried alone as well as stuffed. Such a wonderful treat from our gardens! A true delicacy!
Aren’t they simply indescribably delicious?! I love them too!
I use my Zia Rose’s recipe every summer. She washed the flowers and tore them up into strips, then added them to the batter of flour, water, egg, salt, parmagiana, and a bit of garlic. Then pan fried the pancakes in some oil. So delicious. We’ve had them several times this summer, already. We grow our own flowrers. So yummy!
What a unique way to make them!! Having your own flowers is the best! Enjoy many more before the summer is over!
And I’ve been throwing the zucchini blossoms away for years; no more!
Oh darn! They are so tasty, you’re going to love them, Sue!
I love zucchini blossoms and have not seen a single one at the farmers market this year. I guess it’s too late now, but I am saving your recipe for when they appear next season!
What a bummer! I’m surprised you’ve never made them, though!
I had never known that you could eat this type of flowers until I visited my husband’s Aunt, she made them stuffed, some with meet others with vegetables and others with cheese, oh my goodness they were so delicious! Thank you for sharing I will let my husband’s Aunt know about your recipe, but knowing her and the wonderful cook that she is I wouldn’t be surprised if she told me that she has made them that way too 😊
I bet she does know about this recipe as it’s a basic one used in Italy. The ones with cheese are so good, too! So happy you’ve had them!
I had these for the first time in Tuscany and was blown away by how delicious they are. Good to know they’re so easy to make at home – now I just need to find some courgette flowers!
Yes, it is very surprising how wonderful they taste! You can grow some next year!
Yes I have loved them also. When I cook them it brings me back to the days of my grand mama rose. I some times cry when I cook them but it’s tears of Verry happy years when I was young boy. Love you grandmama miss you Salvatore She help make me the man I am
Awww, that’s so lovely, Salvatore! My nonna was special to me, too. Thanks for sharing 💜