There are a number of wonderful native Floridian plants that you can cook with.

Click one of the buttons below to link you to a recipe using native plant ingredients.

Beautyberry Jelly

Ingredients
  • 1 quart beautyberries
  • 1 packet Sure Jell Pectin
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 2 tablespoons fresh
  • lemon juice
Steps
  1. Wash & dry berries.
  2. Add berries & water in a heavy saucepan.
  3. Bring to a boil and then simmer on low to medium heat for 20 minutes.
  4. Strain berries from liquid.
  5. Add sugar according to pectin’s suggestion.
  6. Add lemon juice & pectin.
  7. Bring to a boil and stir until thickened. About 15 mins, making sure to stir so that it does not burn on the bottom.
  8. Pour into clean sterilized jars. Let sit for 24 hours.
  9. Place in the refrigerator. Jely can last for about one month.

Chile Piquin Salsa

Ingredients
  • 2 tbsp chile piquin
  • 2 tomatoes
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1/4 onion
  • 2 serrano peppers
  • 1/2 bunch cilantro finely diced
  • 2 tbsp water
Steps
  1. Wash the tomatoes.
  2. Make a criss cut cross on the bottom of the tomatoes.
  3. Place on a hot skillet to roast
  4. Add the serrano peppers.
  5. Roast for another 2 minutes
  6. Turn the peppers and the tomatoes to char all the sides.
  7. Add the onion and garlic to the skillet.
  8. Roast everything for an additional 2 minutes
  9. Remove ingredients from skillet
  10. Using a knife remove the skin from the clove and set aside
  11. Let cool slightly.
  12. Remove the skin from the tomatoes.
  13. Cut off the stems from the serranos and cut in half.
  14. Dice the onion.
  15. In a molcajete, add the dried chile piquin, grinding until almost a powder.
  16. Add the roasted garlic.
  17. Grind until smooth.
  18. Add the serrano peppers.
  19. Grind until the peppers have been broken down.
  20. Slowly add one tomato at a time. Pressing down gently so as not to squirt.
  21. Mash it up.
  22. Repeat with the second tomato.
  23. Mash it up as well.
  24. Add the roasted onion, salt, and cilantro.
  25. Stir to combine.
  26. Taste for salt and serve!