But now let's get back to the big dilemmma: zucchini or courgette flowers? Every summer does this doubt grip you so much that you resign yourself to simply calling them flowers? Do not despair here is how to recognize them with this little guide.

Pumpkin or courgette?

We are used to call them generically pumpkin flowers but it would be reasonable to make a distinction, since both the pumpkin plant and the courgette plant produces edible flowers, very similar. The difference is in fact minimal, i zucchini flowers they tend to be larger, they have pointed petals of a bright yellow tending to orange, but they have almost no fragrance. THE courgette flowers instead they have smaller dimensions, pale yellow rounded petals and a more accentuated fragrance. Having said that, there should have appeared in the head the clear image of zucchini flowers, which are those that we usually find on the market. Large and capacious, they are certainly more satisfying to the eye and to the palate, for this supermarket and greengrocers keep the courgette flowers and rarely the pumpkin ones.

How to pick flowers

Both the courgette flowers and the courgette flowers should be harvested early in the morning because they open at dawn and close again after a few hours, so those who sleep do not take flowers. However, a further distinction must be made between male flowers and female flowers. The latter are those attached to the fruit, or to the pumpkin or courgette, and allow the fruit to grow, when it has reached full maturity the flower dies and falls. The male flowers instead grow attached to their own stem, called peduncle, and do not lead to fructification, but contribute to the pollination of the plant, since the pollen contained in the stamen of the male flowers reaches the pistil of the female flowers. In summary, if we collect the female ones attached to the fruit it will stop growing, while if we detach the male ones we risk stopping the production of the plant itself. The advice is therefore to make an intelligent and reasoned collection, always leaving at least one male flower for each plant in this way there will be neither flowers nor fruits.

How to store them

Collect the flowers no later than 8 am, when they are still well open, so you will be able to clean them better and with ease. Rinse them gently, remove the pistil without spoiling the corolla and dry them from both sides with absorbent paper or a clean cloth. Once they are dry put them in a large container with an airtight seal and without overlapping them too much, put them in the fridge, use them over two days, no more. If your garden is producing it in large quantities you can make a special gift to neighbors and friends, or stuff them, bread them and put them directly in the freezer, spacing one layer and the other with plastic wrap, in this way they won't stick and just in case, just remove them from the freezer and fry them without even having to thaw them.

Here are our best recipes with zucchini and courgette flowers