Borage is one of our favorite plants to grow throughout our homestead. But we get particularly beautiful, large ones growing in our hoop-house alongside our tomatoes, peppers, melons and cucumbers.
They make incredible pollinator attractors, but did you know that borage is also a popular food choice employed in various recipes in the Mediterranean? The leaves, stems and flowers are all edible and have a light and refreshing cucumber-like flavor.
Borage is in the same family as comfrey, so you’ll notice similar texture to the leaves, which become more prickly as they age. We use young leaves in salad, while older leaves can be cooked like other greens such as kale or spinach.
The flowers can be picked throughout the season and added as a beautiful salad topper. Or try your hand at creating candied flowers for extra fancy addition to desserts or drinks.
Borage is very high in Vitamin A and C, niacin, calcium and iron. The seeds are high in Omega-6s.
Medicinally, borage is cooling, calming and refreshing. It’s considered to be an adrenal tonic and an anti-inflammatory, among other benefits.
For infusions, using the fresh leaves (make sure to bruise them slightly) is ideal, but they can also be dried for use throughout the winter.
