You have to give it up for nasturtiums: These low-lying, fast-growing, jewel-colored flower vines have everything going for them. They self-seed like crazy, coming back year after year with no work on your part. They can climb, they can trail, they can mound. Nasturtiums are going to fill a space. Their typical red, orange and yellow flowers light up your garden, and new varieties come in blacks and dark raspberries, too.
But their true appeal lies in their utility: Nasturtiums should fill your garden to act as a trap plant for aphids. The aphids are attracted to the nasturtiums, and leave other plants alone. You leave the nasturtiums in place and let the aphids be happy. If that was all these little garden cheerleaders did, it would be enough. But as it happens, almost all parts of the nasturtium flower are edible.
Pickled nasturtium buds
On the left, young nasturtium seeds are easy to see and pick. On the right, the buds look very different but produce better capers, in my opinion.
Credit: Amanda Blum
I love capers—they add the perfect punch to any rice dish, salads, and lots of stews or sautés. Nasturtium capers are a special treat. Lots of recipes on the internet recommend you pick young seeds, which grow externally on the vine, are easy to pick and are a ribbed, pale green. I, however, have found I prefer to skip the seeds and use the buds. Once pickled, they feel much closer to a true caper.
Ingredients:
Bring vinegar, water and salt to a boil and stir until salt dissolves, then turn the stove off. Soak buds in cold water with ice cubes for 20 minutes to rid them of any bugs. Split the buds between two jars. Pour hot brine over the buds to within an inch of the top of the jar. Cover the jars with a new band and lid. Allow the jar to cool and then refrigerate. Wait two weeks to use.
Nasturtium jam
Sure, this summer you can make obvious jams from picked berries, but a snappy, spicy jam is an unexpected foil on a charcuterie plate or breakfast offering. Nasturtium jam accomplishes that.
Ingredients
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2 cups of nasturtium petals (just the petals, not the stamens in the middle of the flower)
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2 tablespoons of lemon juice
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3 1/2 cups of jam sugar
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4 pint size jars, sterilized
Make a tea of the petals by boiling two cups of water and pouring them over the nasturtium petals. Allow to steep for eight hours. Drain the petals out, and then add the tea to your saucepan. Add the sugar and lemon juice and bring to a boil, stirring. Then continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the temperature hits 215 F. Pour carefully into jars, seal the jars and either refrigerate and use within six weeks or process the jars as you normally would with jam.
Nasturtium sushi
A few years ago I saw someone on the internet make sushi using pickled cherry blossoms and preserved magnolia petals. The salt from the cherry blossoms and sugar from the magnolia make the maki sweet and savory. What they don’t do is add spice, and that is where nasturtium blossoms could help. By nature, nasturtiums are spicy, like radishes. The color of the petals make them perfect for a project like this.
I make a simple inside-out maki. The filling is raw matchstick cucumbers, cherry blossoms and preserved magnolia. On the outside, I layer fresh nasturtium petals on the rice. Once sliced, this is a gorgeous dish to serve. Realistically, you could add these petals to almost any sushi roll to add a little spicy punch and color.
Edible garnish on salads or cheese
Nasturtiums on outside of small goat cheese wheels.
Credit: Amanda Blum
Nasturtium blossoms make a colorful and spicy garnish for this caprese salad.
Credit: Amanda Blum
I am a huge fan of edible flowers for adding color and a kick to a dish (I feel personally aggrieved that home cooks perpetually under garnish.) Nasturtiums are abundant and easy to pick. Toss them into a salad and they can replace radishes. I love to roll goat cheese in them, so you get that contrast of the creamy white against the bright colors. The tastes marry perfectly, particularly with a drizzle of honey.
