Nasturtiums are a welcome addition to any garden. Not only are they edible, but they provide a wide range of implications as a companion plant, protecting your vegetables from any number of pests.
Whilst the flowers and leaves are often enjoyed in salads - their mild watercress flavour adding a peppery crunch as well as a burst of colour. The seed pods (also known as "Poor Man's Capers") can be picked before maturity and pickled in spiced vinegar for later use in dressings whereas mature, dried pods can be ground up and used as a substitute for black pepper.
Nasturtiums have widely been used in stir fries, herbal oils, omelettes, condiments and as a simple, yet effective, garnish. Additionally, they are perfect for introducing children to gardening, since it's no problem when they inevitably end up being chewed on!
With nutritional benefits that almost outweigh their many other excellent attributes, here are just a few of note:
Don't forget that if you're going to be eating your Nasturtiums later, don't use chemical sprays or pesticides on or near them! (Actually, don't do it anyway. There really is no reason to.)Image: Albert Michael Cutri/Shutterstock