As I mentioned in our nasturtium pesto post a couple of weeks ago, we’ve been pickling nasturtium “capers”. Based on a recipe from Pam Corbin’s Preserves, these are simple to process and, whilst they’re not really that similar to true capers, they do add a peppery crunch and tang to salads and sandwiches.
- 15g salt
- 100g nasturtium seed pods
- peppercorns (optional)
- bay leaves (optional)
- 200ml white wine vinegar
1. Begin by picking nasturtium pods – below is 100 grams worth from our field of green..
2. Dissolve the salt in 300ml of warm water to make a light brine. Allow to cool, then soak the cleaned seed pods in the brine for 24 hours.
3. Drain the pods and dry them well. Pack them into small sterilised jars with a few peppercorns and a bayleaf (the original recipe suggested you could also use dill or tarragon sprigs, as preferred). Leave a space for 1cm (about a pinky finger’s width) of vinegar at the top.
4. Fill the jars with vinegar and seal with acid-proof lids. Store in a cool, dark place and allow to mature for a few weeks before using – Pam’s book advises that these should keep for up to a year.
One thing to note – the pods quickly lose their green colour in the vinegar. The photo at the top shows the freshly jarred “capers” on the left, and two-day old ones on the right.
Pam suggests mixing these with mayonnaise, onion and lemon juice to make a nasturtium tartare sauce. We’ve just been eating them in salads!
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 