Nasturtium

Tropaeolum majus · Edible flower

40 pairings

Garden nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus) is a sprawling South American annual grown both as an ornamental and as a wholly edible plant: its vivid orange, yellow and red spurred flowers, round shield-shaped leaves and green seed pods all carry a bright, peppery, watercress-like bite. The flowers brighten salads and plates, the leaves add a mustardy snap, and the unripe seed pods are pickled as a caper substitute.

Picking a good onedrag

Just picked, petals springy and leaves stiffLimp and translucent, brown at the spur

Shop freshThe punnet as bought, whole and raw. Tap each flower out over the sink first - the spur holds nectar and the plant is a known aphid magnet. Leaves go in the same salad.Everyday best

Where it came fromA grower who sells it to be eaten, unsprayed

The petalsColour still clean, outer petals starting to soften

The flower in the handSofter, petals slow to spring back

The spur and the throatSpur firm, a little dried nectar at the mouth

Stem at the cutStem still holds the flower up, cut end drying

The round leaves, if you have themGreen and sound, the biggest leaves just starting to droop

What to look for, from just picked, petals springy and leaves stiff to limp and translucent, brown at the spur.

Preparing