Black cumin

Black cumin: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Annual with upright, branching stems 30–50 cm tall and 15–20 cm wide.

Leaves

Finely divided into narrow segments, grey-green and airy; less dense than love-in-a-mist.

Flowers

Pale blue to white, 2–3 cm across, with five to ten petals; no ruff of leaves around them. June to August.

Fruit

Inflated capsule made up of several fruits that split open at the top to release the seeds.

Seed

Small, black and angular, with a peppery, slightly bitter flavour and a spicy scent.

Flowering: June–August · Harvest and fruit: August–September · Sowing: March–May

Why grow it?

• Your own spice from seed: the black seeds flavour bread, cheese, vegetables and curries.
• Pale blue to white flowers that attract bees from June to August.
• Easy: sow directly outdoors, almost no care and no feeding needed.
• The inflated seed capsules look good in a dried bouquet.
• Fits in a herb garden, a vegetable bed edge or a flower border.

Black cumin: where does it grow best?

• Full sun for the richest flowering and the most capsules.
• Well-drained, not too rich soil: sand, loam or clay, neutral to chalky.
• Dry to moderately moist; it tolerates drought better than wet feet.
• Leave 15–20 cm between plants; a little closer in a row or small group.

Light

Sun

Soil type

Sand, loam or clay

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Dry or normal

Size

0.4 m tall, 0.2 m wide

Hardiness

Half hardy (to -5 °C): protect it in harsh winters

Goes well with

• Dill: The same sunny spot and fine foliage; flowers later in summer.
• Cornflower: Blue flowers that go well with the pale nigella blooms.
• Pot marigold: Orange flowers and the same simplicity in a sunny border.
• Coriander: A herb with the same sowing time; flowers and seeds for the kitchen.

Black cumin: when and how to plant it?

1. Sow from March to May in place, once the soil is no longer frozen. The warmer the soil, the faster the seed comes up.
2. Rake the soil to a fine tilth and sow in shallow drills about 1 cm deep.
3. Cover the seed lightly with fine soil and firm it down.
4. Keep the soil moist until the seedlings appear, after about 1–2 weeks.
5. Thin to 15–20 cm between plants. It dislikes being transplanted, so sow where it is to grow.

Care

Water

Keep seedlings moist. After that, water only in long dry spells.

Feeding

Not needed; soil that is too rich gives lots of leaf but few flowers and seeds.

Weeding

Keep young plants free of weeds, because they are weak at first.

Support

Usually not needed; on a windy site a few twigs help prevent toppling.

Harvesting

When the capsules are brown and rattle when dry, cut the stems. Let them dry further in a paper bag, shake out the seeds and store them dry and dark.

Tip: Sow directly in place from March to May and do not transplant: the taproot dislikes it. Harvest when the capsules rattle dry.

Black cumin: when to prune it?

When: An annual is not pruned.

How:

• Do not cut off spent stems if you want to harvest seed.
• If you do not want self-sown seedlings, cut off the capsules before they dry.
• Pull the plants out in autumn after harvest and put them on the compost heap.

Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Seed

From March to May directly in place, 1 cm deep. The seed comes up in 1–2 weeks. Transplanting is not recommended, because the taproot is sensitive.

Self-seeding

If you let a few capsules burst open, new seedlings come up by themselves next spring. Thin them or move young plants with a root ball.

Black cumin: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −5 °C: protect in harsh winters.

• An annual: the plant dies in autumn. Young plants tolerate light frost down to about −5 °C.
• Collect seed for next year and store it dry and dark.
• Self-sown seed survives the winter in the soil; seedlings appear in spring.

Diseases and pests

• Seedlings do not come up: The seed rots in cold, wet soil. Sow only when the soil warms a little and make sure it drains well.
• Slugs: Young seedlings are soon eaten. Look for them in the evening or put a barrier of coarse sand around the plants.
• Aphids: On young shoots and buds. Rinse off with water or leave them to ladybirds.
• Few flowers and seeds: Too much shade or soil that is too rich. Choose a sunny spot and do not feed.

Through the year

• March: Start sowing in place.
• April: Sow. Thin to 15–20 cm.
• May: Last sowing. Weed.
• June: Flowering starts.
• July: Flowering. Water in dry spells.
• August: Capsules form. Harvest when brown and dry.
• September: Harvest seed and let it dry.
• October: Clear the plants. Store seed dry and dark.

Edible and useful

Seeds (August–September)

Harvest in August and September, when the seed pods are brown and rattle dryly, but before they burst open. Cut the stems, leave them to finish drying in a paper bag and shake or rub out the seeds. The black, angular seeds taste spicy and slightly bitter, a little of onion, pepper and thyme. Sprinkle them on naan, bread and crackers, in a curry, over roasted vegetables or a yoghurt salad, or in pickles. Toast them briefly in a dry frying pan for a fuller flavour. Black cumin is not cumin: it belongs to the buttercup family.

Storing

Leave the seeds to finish drying for a week in an open dish and pick out the bits of pod. In a closed jar, dark and dry, they keep their flavour for one to two years. Toast them just before use.

Caution: Only use the seeds of black cumin (Nigella sativa). Love-in-a-mist (Nigella damascena), the ornamental plant that looks very similar and is recognised by the ruff of fine, thread-like leaves around the flower, is not meant for the kitchen. So sow seed labelled Nigella sativa and keep the two apart, also when harvesting. During pregnancy, only use the seeds in small amounts as a spice, not as oil or a supplement.

Eating and using is at your own risk: see the terms of use.

Recipes

• Naan with black cumin (Dish · 6 naans · 30 min + 1 hr rising)
• Roasted carrots with black cumin and yoghurt (Dish · 4 people · 40 min)

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Did you know?

• Black cumin is not related to true cumin, which belongs to the carrot family, but to buttercups and larkspur.
• In India and the Middle East the seed is called kalonji; it is sprinkled on naan bread and used in curries and pickles.
• Lightly toasting the seeds in a dry pan strengthens their spicy scent.