Nasturtium - the edible flower

Nasturtiums, Tropaeolum majus, are simple and pretty trailing flowers with bright rounded green leaves. They look perfect bunched on the top of an elegant cake iced in white or chocolate and they add a feeling of festivity (as flowers often do) to a mixed green salad of arugula, sorrel, mesclun and spinach. Both the leaves and the flowers are edible and they have much more Vitamin C than plain lettuce as well as a slight peppery flavour.

Nasturtiums are also often used decoratively in vinegar. Put 1 cup of flowers, buds and leaves into a tall glass container and cover the flora with a pint of white wine vinegar or champagne vinegar and then set aside for 3 weeks. When ready to serve, add a fresh flower into the bottle.

For the gardeners among us, nasturtiums are ideal starter flowers for the garden and planted alongside vegetables because they deter aphids and beetles. They also grow very easily on containers and hanging baskets which makes having cheerful edible flowers around the house that much easier. So really, at this time of the year, the nasturtium is truly the life of the party - edible, pretty, peppery, not fussy, and a true compliment to everything around her.

Comments

[Mats E Flemstrom]

You are right; nasties are great. Photo is bang on!

[llizard]

They are our favourites used fresh as a garnish with grilled chops. The sweet hot burst of flavour is a wonderful accompaniment.

And you're right. They are very easy to grow. But one really has to watch for aphids on nasturtiums....

[Andrew Spark]

In my view flowers blooming in spring from bare little bulbs planted in the autumn. Has got to be one of the all-time great miracles of nature.