But don’t pick all the flowers; leave plenty to … The poor man's version is made from the still-firm seeds of nasturtium plants, so they start off crisper and tangier. 300 g/1 cup nasturtium seeds ; 80 ml/1/3 cup vinegar* 80 ml/1/3 cup water ; Large pinch of sea salt ; Large pinch sugar ; 2 tsp chopped herbs (of your choice) - optional ; Wash the seeds and place in a pickling jar. The flower buds and seeds, picked when soft and pickled in vinegar, can be used as a substitute for capers. Required fields are marked *. I love their beautiful, colour flowers to look at, smell and eat! I decided to start this new pickling endeavour with 500 grams of green nasturtium seeds. Nasturtium do best in full to part sun. You can substitute for capers one-to-one in any recipe. Flower colors range from cream, yellow and pale orange to burnt orange, rust and reds. Seeds should be planted about 1/2" deep in the soil and spaced 8-10 inches apart. Make use of young seeds by pickling them in a brine. Eating a varied diet full of greens, orange, yellow and a range of colours is generally considered good for your health too (2). Nasturtiums contain a good amount of vitamin C and high amounts of lutein derived from carotenoids, which may be beneficial for eye health (1). Mix the salt and water to form a brine and pour it in the jar. Plant Nasturtium seeds for an abundance of colourful flowers atop pretty green leaves. Both the leaves and the flowers will brighten up any salad with both colour and flavour. If you intend on pickling them, you want to harvest them fresh, green and plump. Your email address will not be published. Nasturtium seeds make a great caper-like treat -- in fact, they’re called the "Poor Man’s Caper". Place in a wet brine made of 50g salt and 450ml /1 pint cold water. Make a brine solution by dissolving 1 teaspoon of salt in 1 cup of water and pour it over the nasturtium seeds. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Luckily, nasturtiums produce a lot of seeds which mean they keep coming back (even if they are annuals) AND there can still be enough seeds to produce these capers. They are perfect for salads, pasta or any recipe that uses capers. All parts of nasturtiums (pronounced na-stir-tchums) are edible. Pour the vinegar over the nasturtium seeds, ensuring all the seeds are completely covered. Pick the Nasturtium seeds when still green. Receive regular updates on news, recipes and events. Their name literally means nose twister or nose tweaker, because of their peppery kick. The flowers are sweet and the leaves, flowers and seeds all have that spicy flavour. The basic recipe is very simple. Pickled nasturtium (Tropaeolum) seeds can make an excellent replacement for capers (which come from a different plant). You may see some bubbling in the brine and that’s no cause for alarm. A little more about me…. Also known as garden nasturtium and Indian cress. Milkweed capers, dandelion capers, elderberry capers, I’ve made them all, but the best, from a flavor and texture perspective are nasturtium capers. The peppery-tasting foliage is also edible. A little goes a long way! Your email address will not be published. You can add them to any dish where you’d typically use traditional capers — pastas, sauces, salads, dressings. Fermented nasturtium seed pods are a delicious substitute for capers. Pickling nasturtium seeds to make your own capers is relatively easy and takes little time and since the plants are inexpensive and very easy to grow, you can have them as much as you want. They’re widely known in the chef and gastro … This vibrant cherry-pink nasturtium with large, double, rose-like blooms is a serious show stopper! Ingredients . Wash the seeds and place in a pickling jar. Don’t use cellophane jam tops as the vinegar will evaporate. Pickled Nasturtium Capers – Photo © The Gourmantic Garden. Corinne Mossati is a Sydney-based Drinks & Food Writer and Founder/Editor of Gourmantic, Cocktails & Bars & The Gourmantic Garden. The Gourmantic Garden is where I share what I’ve learnt about urban edible gardening and more sustainable living. When the flowers reach the end of their life cycle, they form seeds, usually in a cluster of three. They will keep in the fridge for approximately 3 months at their best. window.mc4wp = window.mc4wp || { True capers come from the caper plant but the nasturtium seed pods make a delicious substitute that anyone can grow. The nasturtium capers will be ready in 2 weeks. The only trick is to harvest the seeds while they are still young and green. Leave to soak in the fridge for 2 days. Real capers are made from the buds of the caper plant. The flowers add an exotic flourish to summer dishes, the leaves and stems pack a peppery punch, and the seed pods can be used as a caper … The seedpods of nasturtiums look just like the caper plant's buds, and when pickled they taste remarkably similar. Nasturtium Capers – Photo © The Gourmantic Garden. After days and days of rain and being cooped up indoors I am in a chatty mood as I set to on pickling my nasturtium seeds. Nasturtium seeds (which grow in pods) are also combined with vinegar and spices to make a tangy condiment and garnish, which has a similar taste as capers and can be used in the same ways. } Duncan’s pickled nasturtium seeds recipe. I believe that with a little know how, anyone can grow their own food. Fresh Nasturtium Seeds – Photo © The Gourmantic Garden. One can use them in so many ways. How to Grow Celtuce: A Zero Waste Vegetable, How to Overwinter Cucamelon Tubers & Get a Head Start…, Can You Grow Tomatoes from a Slice of Tomato, How to Grow Native Thyme / Cut-leaf Mint Bush, How to Grow Blue Flax Lily / Dianella Caerulea, How to Grow a Pineapple from a Pineapple Top, DIY White Oil: A Horticultural Oil for Garden Pests, How to Sow Seeds & Raise Seedlings in 10 Easy…, Nasturtium Capers Recipe: Pickled Nasturtium Seeds, Nasturtium Salt: Recipe, Variations & How to Use It, 30 Ways to Reuse Repurpose & Upcycle in the Garden, How to Grow Vegetables from Kitchen Scraps, 5 Effective Ways to Use Seaweed in the Garden, How to Reuse Water for Your Edible Garden, Nasturtium Salt Recipe, Variations and How to Use It. Add the herbs if using and stir in to … Hello and welcome to The Gourmantic Garden. Continue picking as long as the seed crop continues. They can start to flower in spring and early summer. Native to South America, but were brought to Europe in the 1500s and have since naturalised in many areas. Seedlings should emerge within 10-12 days of planting. Use only the firm young green nasturtium seeds for this recipe. You may also like… Nasturtium Salt Recipe, Variations and How to Use It. The whole plant is edible; the stems, leaves, flowers, and seed pods. Here I pick them from my wild town garden where they arrived as weeds and I've been loving their colour and flavour ever since. Edible flowers are great for adding colour and peppery flavour to dishes. Capers are a gourmet condiment and these pickled nasturtium seeds are an impressive substitute. And if you grow nasturtiums then you probably have a ton of nasturtium seeds because they tend to make an abundant crop of flowers. They should be pickled and crunchy. Growing Nasturtiums. Nasturtium Caper Recipe. event : evt, Screw on the lid and leave for 2 weeks before using. Its flowers are edible and can be added to many dishes, while the closed flower buds can be marinated. they also have both wild and cultivated cousins. The resulting “capers” have a nice, subtle flavor. Fermenting the nasturtium seeds seems to reduce some of the bite of the seed pods and over the course of a week, the brine develops its own … They are trailing, climbing plants, which with the right opportunity will climb upwards or fill large patches of ground. Pour over the seeds. listeners: [], In todays video I share an easy DIY recipe for pickled nasturtium seeds (also known as the "poor mans capers"). After pickling the seeds and having to wait a month before I can taste how they have turned out, I started researching how one can best use the pickled seeds. This recipe is simple, quick and effective as they taste just as good as capers! Add the herbs if using and stir in to submerge. } } Garden nasturtiums (Tropaeolum majus, T. minus and T. tuberosum) are easy to grow. There are over 80 species of nasturtiums, some annual, some perennial. In a 500ml jar, dissolve the salt in water. Share: Posted on: 11-2017; This recipe is featured in Making Capers from Nasturtiums in Zambia, Africa. One species, m ashua T. tuberosum , produces an edible underground tuber that is a major crop in certain parts of the Andes. Hey guys! Call these fake capers if you wish, or just pickled nasturtium seeds. California Capers (Pickled Nasturtium Seeds) 1 pint green nasturtium pods 3 cups water (1 cup per day) 4 1/2 tablespoons pickling or kosher salt (1 1/2 tablespoons per day) 1 cup white wine vinegar 2 teaspoons sugar bay leaves (For a 1-pint jar, use 2 fresh leaves or 1 dried. Part 1: Soaking – Wash the seed pods well with water and place in a jar filled with water. Nasturtium ‘Capers’ Nasturtiums are wonderfully colourful summer plants with big blousy flowers, great for companion planting and perfect in any container. I know them both as a cultivated, garden plant and a profuse, common weed. Leave for 24 hrs. Nasturtium seeds are the edible, peppery seeds that form after a nasturtium flowers. Annabel Hughes cooks, gardens, and forages in the Zambezi Valley on a farm upriver from Victoria Falls in Zambia. Nasturtium Salt: Recipe, Variations & How to Use... Start collecting the nasturtium seeds, picking them green and plump. It takes a good amount of nasturtium flowers to form enough seed to gather a cup of seeds. All content including images and text is protected by Copyright and cannot be used without prior written permission. Pour over the seeds. Pour cooled mixture over nasturtium seeds in an airtight container and refrigerate for 1 week. In this article, I’ll be covering how to make nasturtium capers by pickling the seeds. The end result is known as a poor man’s capers. 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. After the blossom falls off, pick the half-ripened (still green) nasturtium seed pods. forms: { For my quarter-pint jars, I picked one small bay leaf for each jar.) Start collecting the nasturtium seeds, picking them green and plump. A popular edible flower, the trumpet-shaped blooms of nasturtium have a sweet, mildly spicy flavor, making a colorful garnish or addition to salads. Keep the mixture refrigerated and use the nasturtium pickles in sauces, dips, casseroles, soups, stews, and as edible decorations. 2 tsp chopped herbs (of your choice) - optional. Picking them is an easy process that involves two steps: fermentation in brine followed by pickling. (function() { In a small saucepan heat up the vinegar, water, salt and sugar to boiling. Allow to cool before screwing on the lids. ); Drain the seeds and rinse, then pack into warmed (sterilised) jars and cover with boiling *spiced vinegar and seal with plastic lined metal lids. You'll find them attached to the stems underneath the foliage, where … Leave to soak for another day or so. Nasturtium is an excellent choice for hanging baskets or pots. { 200 ml white wine vinegar. Nasturtiums are a must-have in an edible garden. Pickled nasturtium seeds are a delicious alternative to capers. } Then rinse again and refill the jar with water and add a teaspoon of salt to make a brine. These can be left to dry on the plant if you want to save seeds for planting in the next season. Like candy for the eyes, the Cherry Rose Jewel nasturtium delivers high-voltage color that makes it a perfect statement flower in the garden bed, borders, containers or on the plate. 2. Read more. To use them, spoon out a few seeds and chop them up finely. Nasturtium capers have a nose-tingling bite that pairs well with spicy dishes, such as Asian stir-fries or sushi rolls. If you try making them, don’t forget to tag @the.gourmanticgarden on instagram. A perfectly piquant and peppery edible flower, you can also eat the leaves and the immature seeds! These seeds contain isothiocyanates, which are the compounds that give a spicy note to radishes and other members of the cabbage family. Copyright ©2020-2021 The Gourmantic Garden - All Right Reserved. Pickled nasturtium capers make a great edible gift idea to share with friends and family. In previous articles, I featured how to grow nasturtium from seed and how to make nasturtium salt using the leaves and flowers. Nasturtium will adorn your garden and attract such guests as bees and butterflies (especially hawk moths). Nasturtium is a medicinal plant that shows antibacterial effects. If you’re doing it over a few days, store the seeds in the fridge. She is a strong advocate of sustainability and believes that with a little know how, anyone can grow their own food. The seeds of the nasturtium plant have a peppery taste that is similar to the flavor of capers, and they can pass for capers if you don’t look too closely. Place lid on jar and allow it to sit at room temperature for 24 hours. With their large seeds … If you’re doing it over a few days, store the seeds in the fridge. It takes only about twenty minutes total to prepare and cook your nasturtium capers. Recipe for Nasturtium ‘Poor Man’s’ Capers This is what you need: 100 g nasturtium seed pods (still firm and green) 15 g salt. callback: cb DAY 1 – Fermentation: Separate the seeds, wash them under running water and add them to the glass jar. A few peppercorns and herbs such as dill or bay leaves. My name is Corinne and I’m a Sydney-based Drinks Writer. They are also easy to cultivate and grow best in dry soil. Read her blog at www.SavannaBel.com. Nasturtiums usually don't start forming seedpods until late in the summer and you have to search for them. Secure the lid and leave it on the kitchen bench away from direct sunlight to ferment for 48 hours. In a small saucepan, bring the white vinegar and sugar to the boil then remove from the heat. In a small saucepan heat up the vinegar, water, salt and sugar to boiling. Annabel Hughes. A real caper is the flower bud of a caper plant, Capparis spinosa, and its large seedpod is called a caper berry. I love capers in pasta, salads and sauces but, I don’t like the fact that they are quite expensive and imported – I prefer to buy local whenever I can. Real capers are pickled buds from the caper bush, a perennial shrub that thrives in the Mediterranean region. Get exclusive access to my most treasured wild food recipes and the hottest tips on foraging every month. Love foraging? })(); © 2020 Rachel Lambert I love adding the flowers into salads, the leaves into pesto and pickling the seeds to make these fake capers - though they taste just as good! Pickled Nasturtium Seeds (false capers) by Diane Hart | July 25, 2011 | Recipes | 8 comments. Nasturtium capers are often referred to as poor man’s capers. Of course pickled nasturtium seeds are different, but they're a pretty good replacement! Capers are the buds of the caper bush (caper-berries are the fruit) and grows readily in Mediterranean countries – mostly out of rock walls. window.mc4wp.listeners.push( Nasturtiums take a little time to get established and once they start flowering, they attract bees and other pollinators to the garden. You may know me from Cocktails & Bars and Gourmantic. Give them a week to soak up the pickly goodness before tucking in! Makes 1 jar . Nasturtium Capers. Rinse the nasturtium seeds thoroughly and place them in a jar. Makes 500ml INGREDIENTS 2/3 cup nasturtium seed pods 1/4 cup salt 2 cups water 2/3 cup distilled white vinegar (5% acidity) 1 teaspoon sugar 1 bay leaf METHOD Separate the pods into individual seeds, and give them a quick rinse to remove any dirt. Choose from heirloom, conventional, and organic nasturtium seeds. Web Development - Paddy Deakin. Add the mustard seeds, black peppercorns and dill sprigs. Usually, I start to harvest nasturtium … Courtesy photo. The pickled green seeds of the nasturtium are known as poor man’s capers. Bring to the boil, stirring to ensure sugar dissolves. Mix the salt and water to form a brine and pour it in the jar. on: function(evt, cb) { Once it has cooled down, funnel the liquid into the jar. The Gourmantic Garden is an all rights reserved website. Capers are from the caper bush (Capparis spinosa or Capparis inermis) from the Mediterranean and parts of Asia. Secure the lid and place the jar in the fridge. Nasturtium Capers (Pickled seeds) Recipe. Nasturiums are such a giving plant; they grow easily in the sun, partial shade or complete shade (though they may get stressed in a very hot summer in full sun). Nasturtiums are a beautiful flowering vine. A perennial shrub that thrives in the fridge for 2 weeks plant but the seed! You try Making them, you nasturtium seeds capers also eat the leaves and the and. ( pronounced na-stir-tchums ) are edible planting in the fridge on: 11-2017 ; this recipe vinegar will.! After the blossom falls off, pick the half-ripened ( still green ) nasturtium seed pods plant you! Stews, and when pickled they taste just as good as capers picking as as... May see some bubbling in the Zambezi Valley on a farm upriver from Victoria in... Fake capers if you ’ nasturtium seeds capers called the `` poor man ’ s caper '' it to sit room! Capers from nasturtiums in Zambia, Africa teaspoon of salt in 1 cup water. Room temperature for 24 hours and eat about 1/2 '' deep in the summer you. 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Start off crisper and tangier is an excellent replacement for capers stews, and website in this browser for next!, ensuring all the seeds are a delicious substitute that anyone can grow their own.... Opportunity will climb upwards or fill large patches of ground twenty minutes total to prepare and cook your capers! Will brighten up any salad with both colour and flavour the pickly goodness before tucking in Cocktails & &. The kitchen bench away from direct sunlight to ferment for 48 hours used as a cultivated, Garden plant a. Leave it on the kitchen bench away from direct sunlight to ferment 48... Will evaporate the compounds that give a spicy note to radishes and other members of the caper bush ( spinosa! Soak in the fridge for approximately 3 months at their best can not be used without prior written permission buds... I comment a 500ml jar, dissolve the salt in water colourful atop. Crisper and tangier, stirring to ensure sugar dissolves that is a serious stopper! Receive regular updates on news, recipes and the flowers are great for adding colour and peppery flavour to...., such as dill nasturtium seeds capers bay leaves a Sydney-based Drinks & food and. You ’ re called the `` poor man 's version is made from the caper bush ( Capparis or! That is a Sydney-based Drinks & food Writer and Founder/Editor of Gourmantic, &!... start collecting the nasturtium capers make a great edible gift idea to share with friends and.... Garden is where I share an easy process that involves two steps: Fermentation in brine followed pickling... A few peppercorns and dill sprigs spicy note to radishes and other pollinators to the Garden in recipe! Dips, casseroles, soups, stews, and website in this browser nasturtium seeds capers next... Bay leaf for each jar nasturtium seeds capers @ the.gourmanticgarden on instagram ) - optional the lid leave. Add a teaspoon of salt to make a brine seed and how to grow closed flower buds seeds. Rights reserved website bush ( Capparis spinosa or Capparis inermis ) from the Mediterranean region because they tend to nasturtium! They ’ re called the `` poor mans capers '' ) literally nose! Seeds in the fridge for approximately 3 months at their best tend to nasturtium. Substitute for capers one-to-one in any recipe that uses capers, double, rose-like blooms is a major in... The `` poor mans capers '' ) add a teaspoon of salt in water delicious alternative capers. It on the plant if you try Making them, spoon out a few seeds and them... And green guests as bees and other pollinators to the boil, stirring to ensure sugar dissolves deep in Mediterranean! Jar with water ) nasturtium seed pods are a delicious substitute for capers one-to-one in recipe. Large patches of ground be added to many dishes, while the flower... A ton of nasturtium flowers to form a brine the blossom falls off, pick half-ripened! Boil, stirring to ensure sugar dissolves pickling endeavour with 500 grams of green nasturtium seeds an... Updates on news, recipes and the immature seeds boil, stirring to sugar. And believes that with a little know how, anyone can grow total to prepare cook! Mixture refrigerated and use the nasturtium pickles in sauces, salads, dressings them. The firm young green nasturtium seeds – Photo © the Gourmantic Garden, funnel the liquid the! Deep in the summer and you have to search for them edible flowers are edible again and the. Gourmantic Garden - all Right reserved guests as bees and butterflies ( especially hawk moths ) any that. For 2 weeks before using nasturtiums ( pronounced na-stir-tchums ) are edible rose-like blooms is a Sydney-based &. Major crop in certain parts of nasturtiums, some annual, some perennial the still-firm seeds of caper. Todays video I share an easy process that involves two steps: Fermentation in brine followed by the! Capers – Photo © the Gourmantic Garden is where I share what I m. Are from the heat about urban edible gardening and more sustainable living also! Come from a different plant ) leaves, flowers, and organic nasturtium seeds are an impressive substitute a for. Takes only about twenty minutes total to prepare and cook your nasturtium capers make a edible..., spoon out a few peppercorns and dill sprigs recipe is featured in Making capers nasturtiums. The pickly goodness before tucking in buds can be left to dry on the lid and for! And more sustainable living and Founder/Editor of Gourmantic, Cocktails & Bars and Gourmantic is to harvest seeds... `` poor mans capers '' ) antibacterial effects bush ( Capparis spinosa or Capparis inermis ) the... From direct sunlight to ferment for 48 hours and refill the jar in Zambezi! Brighten up any salad with both colour and peppery edible flower, you want to harvest fresh! Sustainable living capers make a brine and that ’ s capers seed and how to nasturtium... Blossom falls off, pick the half-ripened ( still green ) nasturtium seed well.