One of my favorite treats from the edible garden in the summer is daylily fritters with beer batter. This recipe includes a delicious ricotta filling that beautifully complements the delicate flavor of the edible flower. Learn how to turn this beautiful flower bud into a delicious snack in the recipe below.

And, at Dahlias and Day Trips its recipe first and answering questions later. So scroll to learn the alternatives I use and other tips for cooking. Or, just get cooking!

Stuffed daylily fritter recipe with beer batter

Experience the unique and delightful flavors of daylily fritters. This recipe combines freshly harvested daylily buds with a creamy ricotta filling, encased in a light and crispy beer batter. Fry them to golden perfection for a mouthwatering treat that captures the essence of summer.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Course Appetizer

Servings 10 fritters

Ingredients

  

• 10-15 Cleaned daylily buds with stamens removed

Filling

• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon honey preferably chili-infused
• 1 small jalapeño finely chopped
• 1 egg

Beer batter coating

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 3/4 cup beer light lager works well, but you can try other options too
• 1 egg
• extra flour for rolling before breading
• Optional: 1/2 teaspoon everything spice
• 1/2 – 1/3 cup vegetable oil or another high smoke point oil

Instructions

 

• In a small bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, salt, pepper, honey, chopped jalapeño, and one egg. Mix well until all ingredients are incorporated. This will be the filling for your daylily fritters.
• Remove the stamens of the daylily bud.
• Gently open each daylily bud and stuff it with a small spoonful of the ricotta filling. Gently press the edges of the bud together to seal it. Repeat this process for all 10-15 buds.
• In a separate mixing bowl, prepare the beer batter coating. Combine the flour, salt, pepper, and optional everything spice. Whisk in the beer and one egg until you have a smooth batter.
• Heat a large skillet or frying pan over medium heat and add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan.
• Roll each daylily fritter in flour individually. This helps the batter stick to the bud.
• Dip each stuffed daylily bud into the beer batter, making sure it’s evenly coated. Allow any excess batter to drip off before carefully placing the bud in the hot oil. Repeat for the remaining buds.
• Fry the fritters for about 3-4 minutes on each side, or until they turn golden brown. Use a slotted spoon or tongs to flip them gently. Be cautious not to overcrowd the pan; cook the fritters in batches if necessary.
• Once the fritters are cooked, transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.
• Sprinkle a tiny bit of salt to finish and serve the daylily fritters while they're still warm. They can be enjoyed as is or paired with a dipping sauce of your choice.

Keyword daylily fritter recipe, daylily fritter with beer batter, ricotta stuffed daylily fritter

Daylilies: A beautiful and edible flower for your garden

Daylilies (Hemerocallis) are perennial flowering plants with stunning blossoms that come in a wide range of colors. While many flowers are purely decorative, daylilies offer a unique opportunity to combine beauty and taste in the kitchen.

The edible flowers taste delicate taste much like that of a zhuccini blossom, described as somewhere between asparagus and green peas. When you deep fry them in a light batter, you end up with a crispy summer snack!

Harvesting and preparing daylily buds

Harvest your buds when still mostly closed and have not fully bloomed. This offers a slightly better taste with less bitterness. That being said, you can still make this with fully bloomed-flowers.

Make sure to remove the stamens prior to stuffing.

The filling: Ricotta cheese, jalapeño, honey, and fresh herbs

Here’s what I did with the filling in mine, though feel free to tailor it to what you have available!

Fresh garden herbs

I like to use a blend of chives, basil, and a little bit of fresh dill from the garden. You might also use parsley, oregano, or a bit of tarragon. I also added some baby kale and spinach from the garden, so integrate greens if you have them too.

Honey

I like to use my chili or garlic-infused honey from a local beekeeper – But any will work!

Beer

My favorites to use for the beer batter are a wheat ale, a pilsner, or a light lager. You can use whatever you have on hand, but the more flavorful beers will overpower the flower and filling.

Alternatives to beer batter

If you don’t want to use beer, you might use buttermilk, soda, or sparkling water. The ratio is 1:1.

Frying the daylily fritters

Once the daylily buds are filled and coated with flour, it’s time to deep fry them! Heat oil until it reaches the ideal temperature – You’ll know when you can drop a small piece of batter in and it starts sizzling (or a tiny bit of water, but be careful as the hot oil will spit!).

Use oil with a high smoke point, like vegetable oil, in a hot skillet or frying pan. I used olive since I had it on hand and it won’t overpower the taste of the fritters. Make sure you have enough oil to cover the pan in a 1/4 or 1/2 thick layer to avoid burning/sticking.

Deep fry until they are even and golden brown on both sides. Monitor to ensure even frying and a perfectly crispy exterior!

Serving the edible flowers

As soon as the crispy summer treat is cooked to perfection, transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate to remove any excess oil.

Serve either alone or with a dipping sauce like mango salsa, spicy aioli, lemon-yogurt sauce, or chipotle mayo.

Safety with the foraged plant: The difference between a daylily plant and a tiger lily

Be sure that you can confidently identify daylilies, and do not confuse them with their close neighbor tiger lilies (which is not an edible flower).

And, as always with foraging in the wild, be sure to harvest from a reliable source free of pesticides and herbicides.

Learn more about foraging here: A beginners guide to foraging: What you need to know

Identifying the difference between tiger lily and daylily plants

Here are the things to carefully check:

1. Flower appearance: The main difference between daylilies and tiger lilies lies in their flower appearance. Daylilies typically have large, showy flowers that come in a wide range of colors, including yellow, orange, pink, and red. Each flower usually lasts for only a day, hence the name “daylily.” On the other hand, tiger lilies feature bold, orange flowers with dark spots. The petals of tiger lilies also curve backward, giving them a distinctive appearance.
2. Stem height and growth habit: Daylilies typically have tall, slender stems that can reach varying heights of around 12-36 inches and grow in clumps. In contrast, tiger lilies have shorter stems that usually grow to about 3 to 5 feet in height with one or few stems in each plant, according to Garden and Happy.
3. Leaf shape: Daylily leaves are long, linear, and grass-like in appearance. They grow in tufts from the base of the plant. Tiger lily leaves, on the other hand, are lance-shaped and alternate along the stem.

Variations and creative twists

This recipe is s classic fritter with lots of room to explore variations! You may choose to add vegetables that complement the taste of asparagus and green peas, add in a little garlic, or switch up the herbs like adding in fresh mint, for example!

FAQs about daylily fritters

Conclusion

I hope you enjoy these crispy summer treats as much as I do! I think they’re a great way to celebrate the beauty and delicate flavor of this beautiful flower. And, they’re super easy to make!

Thank you for reading. ♡

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