Nasturtium Capers Recipe: Pickled Nasturtium Seeds

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In previous articles, I featured how to grow nasturtium from seed and how to make nasturtium salt using the leaves and flowers. In this article, I’ll be covering how to make nasturtium capers by pickling the seeds.

Nasturtium Seeds

Nasturtiums are a must-have in an edible garden. Not only are the leaves, seeds and flowers edible, they have many benefits including acting as decoy plants that attract pests away from edible crops.

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Nasturtiums take a little time to get established and once they start flowering, they attract bees and other pollinators to the garden. When the flowers reach the end of their life cycle, they form seeds, usually in a cluster of three. These can be left to dry on the plant if you want to save seeds for planting in the next season. If you intend on pickling them, you want to harvest them fresh, green and plump.

Nasturtium capers are often referred to as poor man’s capers. Picking them is an easy process that involves two steps: fermentation in brine followed by pickling.

Nasturtium Capers Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 cups nasturtium seeds
• 1 cup/250ml water
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 cup/250ml white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon white granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon of black peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon of yellow mustard seeds
• 4 dill sprigs
• 500ml jar

Method

1. Start collecting the nasturtium seeds, picking them green and plump. If you’re doing it over a few days, store the seeds in the fridge.
2. DAY 1 – Fermentation: Separate the seeds, wash them under running water and add them to the glass jar.
3. Mix the salt and water to form a brine and pour it in the jar.
4. Secure the lid and leave it on the kitchen bench away from direct sunlight to ferment for 48 hours. You may see some bubbling in the brine and that’s no cause for alarm.
5. DAY 3 – Pickling: Strain and discard the brine and rinse the seeds under running water.
6. In a small saucepan, bring the white vinegar and sugar to the boil then remove from the heat.
7. Once it has cooled down, funnel the liquid into the jar.
8. Add the mustard seeds, black peppercorns and dill sprigs.
9. Secure the lid and place the jar in the fridge.
10. The nasturtium capers will be ready in 2 weeks. They will keep in the fridge for approximately 3 months at their best. They should be pickled and crunchy.

Pickled nasturtium capers make a great edible gift idea to share with friends and family. If you try making them, don’t forget to tag @the.gourmanticgarden on instagram.

Want to Know More?

You’ll find more information on how to grow 50 botanicals, which varieties to try, how to pair them with food and spirits, and how to use them in cocktails including a full recipe in my 260+ page digital book GROW YOUR OWN COCKTAIL GARDEN available now.