How to Use Nasturtium
The Spicy Herb
Peppery · Pungent · Fresh · Floral
FORMS
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Fresh Flowers: With vivid yellows, oranges, and reds, nasturtium flowers are some of the most visually striking edible flowers you can grow. Their flavor starts sweet and finishes with a light bite. The whole flower is edible: petals, sepals, and the nectar spur at the back, which is its sweetest part. Use only ones you have grown or bought as food. Flowers from the florist are often treated with chemicals.
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Fresh Leaves and Stems: Young leaves are tender and moderately peppery, while older ones turn tougher and more assertively mustardy. The stems are hotter than either the leaves or the flowers and are worth keeping rather than discarding.
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Seeds: The plant's best-kept secret. Picked young while still green, plump, and soft, then pickled in seasoned vinegar, nasturtium seeds become “poor man’s capers.” They’re peppery and tangy, and they work wherever capers do, on fish, in pasta, or on a charcuterie board, with a mustardy bite all their own. The practice dates back at least to 18th-century England, in the same homes that grew nasturtium in the vegetable garden. For pickling, harvest before the pods yellow, since mature seeds turn hard. Fully dried seeds can still be ground into a peppery spice.
STORAGE
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Fresh Flowers: Delicate and highly perishable, the flowers will wilt within hours at room temperature, so harvest in the early morning while they are crisp and use them the same day if you can. As they wait for meal prep, lay them in a single layer on a damp paper towel in a sealed container in the refrigerator. They will keep for 2-3 days at most like this. Do not stack or crowd them because the petals bruise easily.
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Fresh Leaves and Stems: These are sturdier than the flowers but still best used soon after cutting. To store them, wrap unwashed leaves loosely in a damp paper towel, bag them, and refrigerate for up to 5 days. Chopped stems keep a few days in a sealed container. If you grow nasturtium, the best storage strategy is simply to leave them on the plant until you're ready to use them, and only pick what you need that day. Nasturtium vinegar is another good preservation route for the flavor and color alone. Steep flowers and leaves in white wine vinegar or cider vinegar. The liquid will turn a golden orange with a warm peppery bite, a distinctive dressing base.
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Seeds: Pickled pods keep for several months refrigerated under their brine, and the flavor improves over the first few weeks.
PREPARATION
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Preparing the Flowers: Never wash the flowers under a running tap, which tears the petals. Immerse them briefly in cold water instead and dry them gently on a towel. Check inside the trumpet of each bloom for insects. Serve the flowers whole as a garnish or torn into petals. You can also use them as small edible cups and fill them with things like herbed goat cheese or a light mousse, drizzled with honey, and finished with cracked black pepper.
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Preparing the Leaves and Stems: Wash the leaves thoroughly, as their broad surface catches dirt and insects. For pesto, blend them with garlic, olive oil, toasted pine nuts, Parmesan, and lemon juice. Chop the stems finely as you would with chives.
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Pickling the Seeds: Pick the seeds when still green and soft, before the casing hardens and turns brown. Rinse them, then soak them overnight in salt water, which draws out the bitterness and raw mustard heat that aren't desired for "poor man's capers." A sulfurous smell during the soak is normal and disappears once they're pickled. Warm some vinegar (either white wine or cider) with salt, a bay leaf, and a few peppercorns, just enough to dissolve the salt and draw out the aromatics, then let it cool. Pack the seeds into small jars, submerge them in your new brine of choice, seal the jars, and leave them in the refrigerator for at least a week before tasting.
COOKING
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Raw: Nasturtium is at its best uncooked. Young leaves have the best balance of flavor and texture for salads and sandwiches. Toss them whole through salads, grain bowls, and cold noodle dishes, or layer them into sandwiches. The stems are great in omelets and creamy dishes. Use the blossoms to finish deviled eggs, chilled soups, salads, or cocktails. Always add the flowers at the last possible moment, as petals dropped onto anything even slightly hot collapse almost instantly, losing their shape and color.
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Cooked Applications: The leaves and stems, on the other hand, tolerate brief heat. Wilt them into a stir-fry, fold them into an omelet, or stir them into hot pasta in the last few seconds. Heat rounds their pepperiness into something warmer. Nasturtium butter, made by blending soft butter with finely chopped leaves, salt, and lemon, is an easy compound butter for grilled fish, steamed vegetables, and bread.
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Pairings and Inspiration: Nasturtium's peppery, faintly mustardy character works against rich, creamy, or mild foods that want a sharp counterpoint. Think cream cheese, burrata, avocado, eggs, smoked salmon, scallops, and grilled chicken. It suits citrus as well, particularly lemon and orange. For something memorable in 5 minutes, stuff whole flowers with herbed goat cheese for a one-bite appetizer.
