I haven't eaten one, but occasionally I use a leaf or two as a base on a platter for deviled eggs or sashimi. The colors (with the white and yellow of the eggs and the deep red of the ahi) go so well together. Anyway, they are not toxic, but I'd rather look at them than eat them. Any idea of their nutritional value?

-Babka

If I remember correctly, I was thinking Montana A. was named as one of the better tasting ones? Not sure why that sticks in my mind.

As to improving the plant , I would make them tougher, earlier to rise ...stronger against bugs and hail, later to fall in the year.. They seem to be perfect to me in the prime of the season.

As for improving them, it would be nice if they were poisonous to slugs and bad bugs.
As far as eating my hosta , it would be like raising my pet cat and dogs as meat.. yuk But then some eat grasshoppers too

Better? - I wish they were a bit more drought tolerant. Regular watering during a dry season is a bit of a chore.

Eat them? Not any of MINE!!! But with the tremendous rise in the popularity of Asian restaurants and grocery stores in our city, it is only a matter of time until the opportunity arises. I'm up for a taste test.
Jan

Oh I did think of one more thing ...Picture a large sized hosta that grew giant Blue leaves, and giant YELLOW leaves both, in a big random pile of color :)

I would add pink into the color medley.
.

I agree with Leafwatcher. A tougher plant for a longer season. WW

Sandy/Mosswitch should get credit for this idea, but......Breed them so they all smell like Vick's Vapo Rub and taste like red-hot chilipeppers! Pests be d*mned!!

Don B.

Good one, Don/Sandy/Mosswitch. And I think you can spell out damned in full without offending too many...

Hey, what if hostas were EVERGREEN and lasted all year long???!! Even way up here in the great white north!

They are special because they do disappear for half the year.

Now, if they could breed a garlic flavored hosta to go with the slugs you could just slip into the yard and pick up an order of escargot any time you wanted...

tj

Gosh guys, I'm sick to my stomach thinking that slugs might be considered escargots.

This post was edited by irawon on Mon, Jun 10, 13 at 20:57

On a farm, someone said they never ate what they named. That pretty much rules out my hosta. However, like squash, having a plate of battered and fried hosta blossoms--especially the non fertile ones--would make a nice dish. I like the nasturtium flowers, very spicy, in a salad, and you can do the same with hibiscus flowers. And even camellia sinensis (the Chinese camellia is where our tea comes from) blossoms are rolled up and used as tea, and so are rose petals and rose hips. So why not hosta seedpods and flower petals. That would not harm the plant itself in any way.

Where was it I read about eating hosta.....in one of the hosta references? cannot recall.....

No escargot of any kind for me. I'm not as adventuresome as I once was. Cute topic. :)

However, come to think of it, my DH is a veggie gardener. All it would take to interest him more in hosta is to begin growing them for food.

Hey Don, think we could get the evil Monsanto to insert hot pepper and eucalyptus genes into a hosta? Wonder what we could get? Huh,. GMO hostas.

Sandy

LOL Sandy

Don B.

I toss many of my hosta offspring, either plain green or no id's that are non descript, to my chickens and they eat them up. I probably shouldn't encourage them, but I toss them weeds daily in a 5 gallon bucket and they do have pea sized brains.
And I have stir fried them, usually clip a green clump that holds no sentimental value to me. They taste like swiss chard to me. I just stir fry the leaves, not the stems.