I haven't heard of using the seeds for culinary purposes, but the flowers are edible. I hope you're using seeds you've harvested yourself, and not seeds from a packet intended for propagation purposes. You should never eat such seeds, from any plant, because they are often chemically treated, and are processed in such a way that hygiene standards may not come up to 'food hyiene' levels. I think we should investigate further.

They are, in fact, my own seeds. I was gathering them, hoping to plant them next year, and thought, hmmm.... wonder what these would taste like...

I would say that yes they are...just be sure to use untreated arugula seeds. I grow microgreens with arugula and have taste the just-sprouted seeds and they are wonderful. Have never treid them unsprouted.

Green radish seed pods are a well know salad ingredient. Arugula is closely related and I should imagine they are quite tasty too. Probably a bit peppery. I'll try some next time I'm down at the plot.

Thanks for the replies! They are quite peppery. When toasted in a frying pan, they are peppery with a bit of a nutty taste. Very nice.

surf grrl, would you mind telling me how to harvest arugula seeds? Mine have lots of flowers, but I can't figure out where the seeds are.

Those seeds are actually usually pretty easy to spot. Mine used to show up in brownish colored seed pods after the flowers were gone.
ldr

Thanks LDR, maybe I just have to wait a little longer.

Arugula seeds are definitely edible and good. They are used in Indian and Persian cooking, called "Gargeer" there. We like to add them to bean pots and stews, they impart a nice spicy flavor and a bit of mucilagenous texture.

Wow, gargeer. I had no idea!

So to harvest Arugula seeds you need to wait till the pods turn brown? Then you harvest them to have seeds for next year or do they repopulate themselves. My Arugula pods are green but it's still flowering.

There is also the wild Italian heirloom arugula (Diplotaxis tenuifolia) with yellow flowers that can be perennial here but also reseeds readily. Never tried eating the seeds though.

tj

I bought 6000 microgreen arugula seeds. I really didn't understand how SMALL they are. I am interested in growing them year-round. Can microgreen arugula self-seed or is this some special seed production that doesn't self-seed?

If I just leave them in the ground past the first leaf stage, what happens?

IsleWalker

I just came in from the garden, lugging old arugula plants because garden expert told me I had to pull them up and plant new ones. Your posts have changed my whole approach! Thank you! I'm leaving the old stalks to reseed themselves and taking the flowers and seed pods from these plants for tonight's SALAD!! Thank you!

Same here. I have been watching Arugula magnificence that we could not eat to keep up with. Will start adding flowers to salads and let the girls reseed right were they are.

I harvested my arugula seeds, left them outside to dry but they got wet by the rain and stuck together. I washed them and they got very slimy and can't be drained. What can I use them for?