Topic: eating nasturtiums?

[Crystalmoon]

Hi everyone, Im growing lots of different types of nasturtiums to add colour to my allotment but also to eat with salads. Ive never done this before so am not sure when they are ok to eat...do I wait until they flower & then eat the leaves & flowers? Or can I start to use the abundance of leaves Ive got before flowers appear? Do you simply add to salads & eat raw?
Thanks for any advice

[silly billy]

You can eat the leaves before the flowers appear and the whole flower can also be eaten. Add them to sandwiches too.

[GrannieAnnie]

They're really pretty in salads giving the appearance  ::) of tomatoes when you have none! Sort of watercress taste to them.

[BockingBill]

And don't forget to pickle the seeds - a wonderful alternative to capers.  :)

[Hyacinth]

Or dry the seeds and grind them like peppercorns?

[Old bird]

BokingBill

I thought that capers were nasturtium seeds?!

I will have to whizz on t'internet now and have a look!

Old Bird

 ;D

[Old bird]

Capers are the unopened green flower buds of the Capparis Spinosa, a wild and cultivated bush grown mainly in Mediterranean countries (southern France, Italy, and Algeria)and also in California.

I was wrong!!!! 

Old Bird

 ;D

[djbrenton]

They are an excellent alternative to growing capers. Directions for germinating caper seeds are something like -

Put seed in warm water (108-110° F.) to soak for at least 12 hours. Let water cool to room temperature. No need to keep the water temperature at 108-110° F. for the duration of this treatment. Discard water, wrap seed in a moist towel, place in a plastic bag and keep in the refrigerator for 50 to 65 days. Then take seed out of the refrigerator and treat it again in 108-110° F water. No refrigeration is necessary this time.

 

Plant the seed about 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep in a soil mix of 50-25-25 parts planting soil, perlite and sand, respectively or UC soil mix. Use 6 inch clay pots or deep flats. Water well and keep in a warm area (70-85° F.), in part to full sun. Do not let top of soil crust over. Keep soil moist. Germination should start within 3-4 weeks and may continue for 2-3 months. Not all seeds germinate at the same time.


I'd stick with nasturtiums!!

[PurpleHeather]

There was a fad at one time to serve a full salad made up of flowers only, on a bed of lettuce.

I recall nasturtiums were there with chive flowers and other herb flowers but can' t remember all of them.

It was not too popular, seems people just did not want to eat flowers.

Nasturtiums taste peppery.

[Suzanne]

I am not so keen on nasturtium leaves but do love a few of the peppery flowers in a salad. Firstly if you have friends over they are usually dead impressed as the salad looks so pretty. I have never convinced my OH that they are ok to eat though - he also won't eat chive flowers as apparently the taste is too "pungent"!

Never mind I like them and am happy to pick them out - plus the capers and olives and put them on my plate.

[cacran]

Do you know, I would love to try to eat Nastersium leaves, flowers and seeds but what puts me off is the abundance of black flies which soon turn into catipillars. I know, I know....... I am fussy!!! I was told that these are used as companion plants to lure the black fly away from other crops. what I don't understand is, that when I grow them in my garden amongst the flowers the still get covered in blackfly and then catipillars. what have they lured them from as my other plants don't suffer from them if I have no Nastursiums ???

[GrannieAnnie]

Instead of capers. Interesting!  What do you soak them in then, a brine? And what do the seeds taste like- just like capers?

[Ishard]

Try this; http://www.plantea.com/nasturtium.htm

ans yes they taste the same and  I love 'em!  ;D

[Columbus]

Hi Crystalmoon,

I harvest as many nasturtium seeds as I can at the end of the year and pickle them in vinigar. Last year I did a red cabbage and seed mix that I`m eating now with this years lettuce.

They self seed on my plot now and I just let them grow where its convenient. In between maincrop spuds is a good place.

They get less peppery over time.

Col

[BockingBill]

The recipe on plantea.com sounds good. However, I just use pickling vinegar for mine although I do have a vague memory of including a drop of Gin in the liquid many moons ago. Nowadays we tend to just use them on Mr J Oliver's recipe for new potatoes with dill, oil and vinegar plus on pizzas.

[Crystalmoon]

Thank you all for your great replies, Im really looking forward to trying all the suggestions. The nasturtiums seem to be doing the best out of everything on my plot at the moment due to the bad weather they also dont have any sign of black fly but will keep my eyes open  ;)

[PurpleHeather]

They do grow the best flowers in the worst soil.

So try growing them somewhere rubbishy where nothing else will grow. and see if that stops the black fly finding them.

Mine self seed every year along the path where there is only a little soil and it is mostly stone. I spend more time ripping them out for being intrusive in the good soil I want for other things.