
What can you do with fennel flowers?
- The different uses include soups, fish recipes, salads and teas.
- Fennel seeds are used in baked goods, desserts and even drinks.
- You can also use flowers, seeds and leaves for teas.
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Market for Herb Fennel
- The different uses include soups, fish recipes, salads and teas.
- Fennel seeds are used in baked goods, desserts and even drinks.
- You can also use flowers, seeds and leaves for teas.
What is fennel and how do you cook with it?
Fennel roots are tuberous and can be peeled, diced and used as carrots when cooked. They are white, so adding them to a soup you’d puree is a flavorful way to add some bulk to create a thicker soup.
What can I make with fennel?
Top 5 Ways to Use Fennel Stalks & Fronds
- Add the Leafy Fronds to Salads: Strip the fronds from the stalks and toss them in your next green salad. ...
- Make Fennel Pesto: As Sara Kate would be quick to point out, any green is pesto waiting to happen. ...
- Use Stalks and Fronds for Cooking Fish: Fennel and fish have been best friends since the dawn of cooking. ...
How to prepare fennel to cook?
You've probably seen fennel at the grocery store—a big green vegetable with a white and light green bulb, celery-esque stems, and feathery fronds that look like dill. There are countless delicious ways to cook with fennel or enjoy it raw. Thinly slice it ...
What part of fennel do I use?
Let’s start at the bottom:
- Fennel roots are tuberous and can be peeled, diced and used as carrots when cooked. ...
- The bulb is the bulk of the plant, with its thick ribbed layered leaves, each producing a stalk. ...
- The stalk is quite fibrous, and to eat it directly, it must be cooked. ...
- Fennel fronds grow out of the stalks and look like beautiful, frilly, thread-like dill. ...

How do you use fennel flowers?
Use fennel's distinct umbrella of yellow flowers as a garnish with steak or pork dishes. Pick fresh flowers, rinse gently and place on a baking sheet to dry overnight. Encourage guests to smell the flowers for another element of the sensory experience during dinner.
Can you eat fennel after it has flowered?
The entire plant of fennel, including the flowers, is edible and can be used. Hundreds of recipes are available for the preparation of each part of the plant. Seeds, stems, stalks, leaves, bulb, roots, flowers... all have valuable food quality.
How do you harvest fennel flowers?
To harvest fennel pollen, snip several heads of blooming fennel into a clean paper bag, and place in a warm, dry place for at least a week. Give the bag a good shake, and gather the pollen and petals that accumulate in the bottom of the bag.
How do you preserve fennel flowers?
Freezing is the best way to preserve fennel fronds and stalks for longer periods. Rinse them in cool water, place them in sealed bags or other containers, and freeze. Frozen herbs will keep their color and flavor better if they are cooked briefly before freezing.
Does fennel grow back every year?
Herb fennel is closely related to the vegetable Florence fennel. However, the herb is grown as a perennial, making a long-lived plant with aromatic, feathery leaves and tall heads of yellow flowers in early summer....Month by month.JanuaryFebruaryMarchSowAprilMayJuneSowSow HarvestSow HarvestJulyAugustSeptember3 more rows
Can you use fennel flowers for tea?
Fennel seeds are used in baked goods, desserts and even drinks. You can also use flowers, seeds and leaves for teas.
Can you freeze fennel flowers?
Fennel can be frozen for around 6 months. Cut it up before blanching it in boiling water for 30 seconds.
Why is fennel pollen so expensive?
It comes from the very middle of the fennel flower, and you can gather about a gram at a time. This low yield is the reason why Fennel powder is quite pricey. Farming it is hard, and as a result most Fennel Pollen comes from Wild Fennel.
What part of a fennel plant is edible?
But don't pitch the rest! The entire fennel plant is not only edible but delicious. Each part of the fennel plant has a different texture and use: the bulb, the long stalks that make up the length of the plant and the fringe of fronds at the top all have their place in the kitchen.
Can you dry fennel heads?
Dried Fennel Flowers are perfect for drying as they keep their architectural shape. A wilder arrangement of Fennel flowers. As grasses seem to be having a real vogue at the moment, let's plunge in with those first.
Can you use the tops of fennel?
You can use them to top yogurt dips, eggs, stir-fries, toasts, and seared meats. And they're delicious when tossed into green salads or strewn on top of roasted vegetables. There are a ton of ways to take advantage of the delicate flavor that fennel fronds have to offer.
How do you dry fennel pollen?
Harvesting fennel pollen is easy. Gather lots of fennel flower clusters, tie them together at the stem ends, and put them in a paper bag. Hang the bag somewhere dry for a week or two for the flowers to dry.
How to Harvest Fennel Pollen
Fennel pollen has been a trendy spice among chefs since before 2011, though Italian cooks have used it as a dry spice for hundreds of years. Boasting the complex citrusy-licorice flavor of fennel in concentrated form, fennel pollen includes the pollen and dried petals that fall from fennel blossoms as they dry.
Health Benefits of Fennel
Much of the research that has validated fennel’s health benefits has been done with fennel seeds, which are rich in antioxidants and have anti-inflammatory effects.
Exploding Fennel Myths
For some gardeners, making friends with fennel requires moving beyond several widely believed myths. For example, the often-repeated spook story that fennel and dill will cross is false. Despite their physical resemblance, fennel and dill are different species, with chromosome numbers that don’t match.
Growing Fennel
Neighbor’s beautiful fennel plant. Isn’t it pretty against her stone wall.
Fennel Companion Planting
Fennel is a highly aromatic and slightly odd plant that is pretty much a poor companion plant for everything.
Fennel & Insects
Fennel attracts a variety of beneficial insects including ladybugs, syrphid flies, tachninid flies, beneficial parasitoid wasps and hoverflies and other beneficial predator insects to your garden. Aphids are said to find fennel exceptionally offensive and are strongly repelled by it.
Whether you're using fennel bulbs, stalks or fronds, you'll love these fresh recipes that incorporate this sweet anise-tasting veggie into your meals
Whether you're using fennel bulbs, stalks or fronds, you'll love these fresh recipes that incorporate this sweet anise-tasting veggie into your meals.
Roasted Carrots & Fennel
This addictive fennel recipe is a fresh take on one of my mother's standard wintertime dishes. I usually add more carrots—as many as the pans will hold. —Lily Julow, Lawrenceville, Georgia
Pear 'n' Fennel Pork
Fresh fennel has a large bulbous base and pale green stems with wispy foliage. Often mislabeled as sweet anise, it has a sweeter and more delicate flavor than anise. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Fennel Carrot Soup
This soup is perfect as a first course for a special-occasion dinner. It gets its delicious flavor from toasted fennel seeds—a pleasant complement to the carrots, apple and sweet potato. —Marlene Bursey, Waverly, Nova Scotia
Warm Cabbage, Fennel and Pear Salad
This crunchy salad makes an elegant first course or side, but it's hearty enough to be an entree when paired with a crusty artisan bread. We love it served warm. —Grace Voltolina, Westport, Connecticut
Pasta with Creamy Fennel Sauce
When pureeing fennel one day, I realized its velvety texture would make for a creamy, delicious pasta sauce—without all the guilt. My experiment worked, and now I enjoy this good-for-you pasta sauce all the time. —Deb Schwab, Moraga, California
Dijon Pork Chops with Cabbage and Fennel
While living in Switzerland for a few years, my friends introduced me to an area renowned for their cabbage, pork and potato dishes. I decided to try a cabbage and fennel combination and believe they complement each other well. —Grace Voltolina, Westport, Connecticut
Fennel Basics
Often likened in taste to licorice, fennel is in fact far more subtle with a texture similar to celery, and, unlike licorice, the flavor is savory, not sweet. Raw, fennel is cool and crunchy. Cooked, fennel turns mellow and the flesh softens; it is wonderful alongside fish or chicken or tossed with pasta.
Sliced Fennel with Parmesan
Raw fennel wedges make a sophisticated finger food when topped with hunks of good-quality Parmigiano-Reggiano and finished with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Braised Fennel with Pomegranate
We love the contrast of textures and flavors in this sensational side dish. Fennel is simmered in a bath of orange and pomegranate juices, garlic, and chicken broth until silky, then served with fresh mint, fennel fronds, toasted hazelnuts, and pomegranate seeds.
Clam Pan Roast with Sausage and Fennel
This flavorful dinner-party dish combines sweet Italian sausage, kielbasa, red potatoes, fennel, and littleneck clams. Serve with slices of crusty bread so that your guests can mop up every last drop of the delectable sauce made from Pernod, clam juice, tomatoes, and tarragon.
Labneh Dip with Caramelized Onions and Fennel
Don't let onions have all the caramelized fun! Fennel lends depth of flavor, as does the addition of fresh thyme, dry sherry, and Worcestershire sauce. Serve over garlic-spiked labneh for a truly unforgettable dip.
Crisp Grilled Salmon with Fennel-Olive Relish
Wild salmon doesn't need much to impress -- just this simple, lively relish made with fennel, green olives, red onion, fresh parsley, lemon juice, and chile de arbol.
Shaved Fennel, Zucchini, and Celery Salad
Very thinly sliced celery, fennel, and zucchini are tossed with butter beans and a simple white-wine vinaigrette, then chilled for an hour to allow the flavors to develop in this fuss-free salad. Stir in toasted almonds just before serving.
Explore
Cooking a whole chicken in the slow cooker is by far the easiest, juiciest, and most fool-proof method there is.
Breakfast and Brunch Recipes
It was a big year for breakfast! The most important meal of the day got even more innovative in 2021. Convenience worked its way into a lot of our new breakfast recipes, especially with air fryer breakfast recipes. Additionally, international breakfast foods including migas, Japanese pancakes, and shakshuka became increasingly popular.
Drink Recipes
Serious sports fans know that the quality of snacks and drinks off the field matter as much as the quality of play on the field.
Main Dishes
It's no secret that we at Allrecipes love casseroles (so does our community of home cooks) and among our most popular casseroles are those made with chicken and rice.
Salad Recipes
Mustard fanatics won't be able to get enough of these ridiculously flavorful potato salads. Many of our potato salad recipes call for some mustard, but we've rounded up our very best recipes that pack a powerfully mustard-y punch.
Side Dish Recipes
If you're not familiar with Romanesco — also called Romanesco broccoli, fractal broccoli, or Romanesco cauliflower — this eye-catching cruciferous is considered a hybrid between broccoli and cauliflower.
Soup, Stew & Chili Recipes
Chilly weather means getting to experience the simple joy of making a big pot of steaming hot soup. While there are few meals in life as comforting as a warm bowl of hearty soup, making it doesn't have to be a tedious task. You don't always have to throw everything but the kitchen sink in the pot; instead, try one of these five-ingredient soups.
Fennel in Wine and Honey
A great side dish for fennel lovers, originally from a friend in Israel. I have used water instead of broth, with some added salt and seasoning. I have also replaced the mustard seed with regular mustard.
Fennel and Watercress Salad
This salad would be a welcome addition to any Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner table.
Fennel Risotto
Don't let the strong taste of fennel scare you: it fades down after cooking. This is a rich and creamy risotto, just like it ought to be! You can use chicken stock in place of the vegetable stock, as well as olive oil for the butter.
Potatoes Au Gratin with Fennel and Bacon
Delectable creamy Au Gratin Potatoes are enhanced with subtle flavors of fennel and bacon. Caution: this recipe will make people break your door down for some more. I never measure unless baking, always use eyeball judgement, so feel free to adjust to your personal feel and taste.
Fresh Green Beans, Fennel, and Feta Cheese
Fresh green beans and fresh fennel cooked until crisp-tender are then briefly sauteed in extra-virgin olive oil, along with fresh basil and crumbled feta cheese.
Fennel Cucumber Salsa
This is a fresh and unusual salsa. Use it as an appetizer or on grilled meats. The fennel has a surprisingly light flavour. Perfect for summer. Serve with tortillas or sliced baguette.
Carrot and Fennel
A great accompaniment for any dinner. It uses very basic ingredients and is slightly Indian-inspired.
Wild Fennel Almost All Year
Depending on where you live, wild fennel has something to offer almost all year long. It starts in late winter here in California, spring everywhere else.
Wild Fennel Pollen
High summer is a busy time if you are into wild fennel because the plant is both setting seeds and is in full flower. The flowers can be eaten as a garnish, but their real treasure is fennel pollen.
Green Fennel Seeds
These are the hidden treasure of wild fennel. Walking around a patch in July or August, you will see the seedheads ripening. But the seeds themselves remain green for some time. If you eat one, it will be a revelation: Juicy, crunchy, sweet, and very strongly flavored. I love them.
Fennel Varieties
You can find two different types of fennel seeds available for purchase. There are herb-type varieties, which produce leafy tops and are planted mainly for their fronds and seeds. Many herb-type fennels are ornamental. Bulb-type fennels are grown for their – you guessed it – delicious bulbs, though you can use their leafy tops.
Planting Fennel
Fennel grows in zones 5-10. While it’s perennial in zones above 6, most gardeners grow it as an annual because it doesn’t last long in the garden. It will, however, self-sow if you let it go to seed.
Problems with Growing Fennel
Fennel is a plant with minimal problems. It’s a low maintenance garden herb that requires little attention aside from regular waterings. Diseases rarely plague this Mediterranean gem, and few pests are attracted to it.
Storing and Harvesting Fennel
You can eat pretty much any part of the fennel plant from its seed to its bulb. Harvesting happens after about 2 months. You can harvest the fronds once the plant is established, clip off the top portion to encourage growth. Pick off seeds once flowers have withered and gone brown. Harvest the bulb once the plant has matured.
Cooking with Fennel
One of the toughest parts of gardening doesn’t seem like a problem at face value: when it’s time to harvest, it’s a challenge to figure out how to use everything without letting it go to waste. Not sure how to use the fennel you’ve grown? Here are a few tips:
