I've never, ever read or seen anyone mention using a tomato flower. Since all green parts of the tomato plant are poisonous, I don't think I would chance it.

FataMorgana

perelandra flower essence company has rose and garden essence lines. here is what they say about tomato flower essence

'cleansing. assists the body in shattering and throwing off that which is causing infection or disease.'

for a google you can find out how to make flower essences, its fun. i was healthily skeptical about flower essences....till i started using them. subtle but profound therapy!

karen:

You're sending a message here. You answer on another post to say that you're not going to discuss herbology with me anymore.

Come on, Karen! Let's talk shop. I'm interested in your clinical experience.

theherbalist

this IS my clinical experience charlie.

i agree with fatamorgana that the flower itself should probably not be consumed.

Tomato flowers and leaves are pretty common in Central and South American cookery. My mother grew up eating them as a seasoning as did her family, friends, neighbours, community etc.

While they do contain some potentially toxic compounds (as does every plant, including lettuce and apples), you would have to eat a large quantity to suffer any seriously ill effects. If you did gorge on them, it would be similar to eating too many green potatoes or green tomatoes, but the taste should prevent you from taking in more than your body can comfortable handle.

I personally like the flowers in tomato/basil/sheep feta salads drizzled with olive oil. mmmm

Ahhhh, Wyld. Your common sense prevails among the hot-heads of pseudo-intellectual snobbery.

Talking about tastes . . . Back in the early 80's, the FDA came out with a warning that sassafras is cancer causing. Upon closer examination, the testing was comprised of taking the equivalency of 3 cups of sassafras tea every day for 30 days. And THEN, it set up an inflammatory condition that appeared to be pre-cancerous to the affected tissue.

I was raised on sassafras tea. Hell, when I was 5 or 6 years old, my older brother and I would pick it and sell it for spending money. In the winter, if I got a chill (in Pennsylvania) I'd drink 1 cup of sassafras tea, go to bed and awake without having gotten sick. It knocks the chills right out of you. But nobody, I repeat, NOBODY in their right mind would drink 3 cups a day for 30 days in a row!! Our taste buds would have kicked in and said "Are you out of your mind?!? Don't do it!"

Now, the threat has passed and it's back on the market. So much for modern scientific analysis. "Save the people!"

theherbalist
charlie

"Now, the (sassafras) threat has passed and it's back on the market. So much for modern scientific analysis."

Not so. The reality is that you can buy sassafras products, but they must have the safrole removed (safrole is the ingredient thought to be toxic/carcinogenic).

"According to Foster S. Tyler's Honest Herbal: A Sensible Guide to the Use of Herbs and Related Remedies, "It has been estimated that one cup of strong sassafras [root] tea could contain as much as 200 mg of safrole, more than four times the minimal amount believed hazardous to humans if consumed on a regular basis." More recent studies by the U.S. National Toxicology Program, however, found that it took a dose of 2,350 mg to reach a "toxic endpoint" (that is, where 50 percent of the animals died) in mice, which puts safrole in the "slightly toxic" category. Since there have been no human studies, nobody really knows what levels might be dangerous to people.
If the safrole hasn't been removed, it can be legally sold only as a topical skin wash or as "aromatic potpourri."
Root beers that list sassafras as an ingredient today, such as those made by Hansen's Natural Soda or Thomas Kemper, use a safrole-free extract."

Safrole, by the way is important in drug manufacture - as in the illegal drug Ecstasy. More info here:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0003255/

The quote about safrole-free sassafras products in the preceding post is from this article.

Good to know, thank you WyldViolet.

I am brand new to this forum and so far enjoying reading the wise words of fellow herb enthusiasts here. Hello everyone!