Nasturtium Capers

Nasturitums are perhaps the most commonly know edible flower and add a wonderful vibrancy to summer salads with their beautiful colours and spicy flavour but did you know that you can eat the seeds as well? Pickled nasturtiums seeds are otherwise known as ‘Poor Man’s Capers’ but the floral spiciness of the nasturtium seeds adds a different dimension to traditional capers which are in fact flower buds of the Mediterranean Capparis shrub. You need to gather the seeds almost as soon as the flowers have dropped off the plants as they otherwise become very mealy and their colour fades. Fill a clean and sterilised jam jar with the bright green nasturtium seeds and top up until covered with white wine vinegar that has been just boiled with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. You can also add garlic, bay leaves or chopped chilli to your pickling liquor if you like (garlic is particularly good) but the nasturtium capers have a nice spicy flavour of their own. They are good to eat after a week and will keep in the fridge for up to 6 months. This recipe featured in this month’s edition of Grow Your Own Magazine by Jan with stunning photos by Neil White for which many thanks.

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