How to Make "Poor Man's Capers" From Nasturtium Seed Pods

Garden Betty

While much of the country doesn’t see the seed pods until late summer (when intense heat causes nasturtiums to wither away), we Angelenos see a succession of flowering nasturtiums year-round, giving us seed pods even in winter.

Those delicate green pods emerge after the blossoms have faded, appearing in clusters of three on the stems. Before you yank your plants out, hunt for those little pods to get one last use out of your nasturtium crop!

You don’t need more than a handful to turn them into tasty “capers,” and though they’re sometimes called poor man’s capers, they have a distinct, mustardy flavor all their own.

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

Harvest young, light green, half-ripened seed pods while they’re still on the vines. Young pods are crisp and juicy, but tend to lose their zip and flavor as they mature (eventually, they dry out into wrinkled brown seeds and drop to the ground).

Separate the pods into individual seeds, and give them a quick rinse to remove any dirt.

The raw seeds are full of potent mustard oils that make them bitterly strong in flavor; a little too strong for my liking, so I start by mellowing them out in a simple salty brine.

In a quart jar, dissolve the salt in water. Add the nasturtium seeds, then place a zip-top bag over the rim and down into the jar to keep the seeds submerged.

Swipe up to read the full post!

Garden Betty

More posts:

Nasturtium Pesto

You Can Eat the Seed Pods on Your Radish Plants—Here’s How