It grows to a height of 2.0–3.3 ft, and is bristly or hairy all over the stems and leaves; the leaves are alternate, simple, and 2.0–5.9 in long. The flowers are complete, perfect with five narrow, triangular-pointed petals. Flowers are most often blue in color, although pink flowers are sometimes observed. White flowered types are also cultivated. The blue flower is genetically dominant over the white flower. The flowers arise along scorpioid cymes to form large floral displays with multiple flowers blooming simultaneously, suggesting that borage has a high degree of geitonogamy. It has an indeterminate growth habit which may lead to prolific spreading.
1. Borage and
Cream Cheese Spread: Finely chop young borage leaves and
onion; mix with cream cheese. Add
skim milk to spreading consistency. Use on light Sandwiches.
2. Candied Borage Flowers: Remove the sepals from the flower. Paint the flowers with
egg whites and dip in a very fine
sugar. Unpasteurized egg whites carry the risk of food poisoning, so as an alternative, use 1 Tbsp of gum arabic and 1 Tbsp of
water. Use to garnish deserts.
3. Freezing borage flowers in ice cubes is a fun addition to summer drinks.
4. A borage
vinegar can be used in making salad dressings and it’s probably the only satisfactory way to store borage. Freezing & drying produce unsatisfactory results.
5. A refreshing tea is made by pouring a cup of boiling water over ¼ cup of bruised borage leaves; steep for 5 minutes; strain & serve. Young borage leaves also go well in lemonade.
