Homemade Capers, Sorta.
Nasturtiums are my absolute favorite flowers ever. It's the first ever flower I learned to grow, and haven't stopped since. They come in the most vibrant colors, they are edible, and can be used in so many ways. They make the garden look gorgeous as well as acting as a sacrificial plant for the veggies -- plus they reseed themselves so you never have to worry about growing them back ever. My whole life I only was aware of eating the flowers and leaves, but now I'm here to tell you, seeds included.
Before this, I only ever used the greens and flowers in my salads and never really knew what to do with the seeds, other than to save them and plant some more.
There is a restaurant here in San Francisco called Bar Tartine that cures the immature green seeds and creates a “caper berry” out of them. I was astonished when I first ate one of these there and immediately wanted to try it myself because I have an endless supply of these green little seeds. The actual seeds form when the flower dies and they hang from a single stem until they shrivel up and fall down to the grown, where they start all over again.
Anyways, I gathered a bunch from the garden (if you don’t have them growing in your garden, I’m willing to bet you can find nasturtiums growing in a lot of unexpected places -- I've most definitely found them wild in Golden Gate Park amongst other edible flowers...), and began the curing process. A week later, I was again astonished at my own attempt.
This particular “pickle” is a combination of lacto-fermenting and quick pickling. The first process follows a basic lacto-fermenting process, while the secondary flavoring process quickly pickles the seeds and creates that sour affect.
The ingredients and process are really easy, all you need is time and patience. And in the event that you can't find nasturtium seeds, try using chickpeas or ginko nuts.
Nasturtium Capers
makes 1 10-12 ounce jar
1 cup green nasturtium pods
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup salt
3/4 cup distilled vinegar
3 tbsp sugar
2 bay leaves
10 peppercorns
3 garlic cloves
Part 1:
Wash the nasturtiums pods, set aside.
In a small saucepan, bring a cup of water to a simmer -- doesn't have to be boiling, just hot enough to dissolve salt. When the water is hot, add half of the salt in the ingredients list.
In a jar of your preference, add the seeds and the salt water. Place a lid on top and store in a cool, dark place for 3-4 days.
After 3-4 days the pods should have softened and the liquid will have more of a 'pickle' smell to it. Strain the seeds and discard the liquid. Set aside.
Part 2:
In a small saucepan, bring the distilled vinegar and 1/2 cup of water to a simmer -- the same idea as above. Add the sugar, remaining salt, bay leaves, garlic and peppercorns.
Once hot, return the seeds to the same jar and add the brining liquid to the jar as well. If not all of the liquid fits, that's totally fine and the remaining can be discarded -- just make sure the bay leaves, garlic and peppercorns make it into the jar.
Place the jar back in its previous home and let the mixture sit for at least a week up to 3 weeks. When finished, the seeds will smell fragrant and spicy, and completely tender. Store in the fridge indefinitely!