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Pickled Nasturtium Capers (GF & Vegan)

How to pickle nasturtium seeds for a zero-waste and free alternative to capers
How to serve nasturtium seeds, leaves and flowers
Why I like to make pickled nasturtium seeds every year!

Nasturtium seeds are the edible, peppery seeds that form after nasturtium flowers. Pickled nasturtium capers are a delicious alternative to traditional capers. They are perfect for salads, pasta, or any recipe that uses capers.

How to pickle nasturtium seeds for a zero-waste and free alternative to capers

Growing Nasturtiums

Nasturtiums are beautiful flowering vines. With their large seeds and prolific nature, they are easy to grow. The only trick to nasturtiums is that they generally succumb to aphids around mid-summer… however, I view this as a bonus, since it means they’re keeping the aphids off of my other plants!

All parts of the nasturtium are edible and have a sharp, peppery flavor.

  • Add the leaves and flowers to your summer salads.
  • Use the flowers as a garnish for everything from pasta to potato salad.
  • Save the largest seeds for planting the next year. Allow them to dry out completely, then store them in an envelope with your other seeds.
  • Harvest the young, green seeds for pickled nasturtium seeds.
How to serve nasturtium seeds, leaves and flowers
Nasturtiums growing on my front deck.

Fermenting Nasturtium Seeds

Nasturtium seeds don’t need to be fermented before they are pickled, however, it greatly improves the flavor. Fermenting the nasturtium seeds ahead of time also allows you to slowly gather the seeds until you have collected enough to make a batch of pickled seeds.

It usually takes me 3 to 4 weeks to gather enough seeds to make a batch of pickled seeds. So I set up a quart-sized jar for fermenting, which I store in the fridge (for a slow ferment). Then I add seeds every 2 to 3 days until the jar is full.

You don’t need any special supplies or culture to make brine fermented nasturtium seeds. So it’s an easy ferment for beginners.

Print

Pickled Nasturtium Capers

How to make pickled nasturtium seeds for a homegrown alternative to capers
Print Recipe

★★★★

4 from 1 reviews

Water bath canned pickled nasturtium seed will last all winter long. They are a homegrown and delicious substitute for capers. Perfect with pasta, salad, pizza and as a unique gift.

  • Author: Emillie
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 4 small jars 1x
  • Category: Pickles
  • Method: Canning
  • Cuisine: Italian
  • Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 cups of nasturtium berries
  • 4 sprigs of thyme
  • 4 bay leaves
  • 1 cup of white vinegar
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 4 –1/2 cup mason jars

Instructions

  1. If you were fermenting the seeds ahead of time, drain them before packing them into the jars. Otherwise, just give the seeds a good rinse.
  2. Packed each jelly jar with the nasturtium seeds, a bay leaf, and a sprig of thyme.
  3. Bring the white vinegar and sugar up to a boil.
  4. Pour the boiling vinegar over the top of the nasturtium berries (up to the 1 cm headroom on the jelly jar). Cap with a new snap-lid.
  5. Place the jars in a water-bath canner, bring to a boil, and process for 10 minutes.

Notes

  • The trick is to harvest the seeds while they are still young and green.  Once they turn brown you can save the seed for planting the next year.
  • If you’re new to canning, here is some more information on how to water bath can.

Keywords: capers, storage, summer, fall, gardening, diy, homemade, gift, gluten free, vegan, zero-waste, frugal, affordable

Filed Under: CondimentsTagged With: Pickled, Seeds

Previous Post: « Garlicky Fermented Green Beans
Next Post: Traditional Lacto Fermented Dill Pickles »

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Comments

  1. Norma Farrell

    September 16, 2017 at 7:15 am

    Nasturum barriers been sitting 2r hours. Did .it use starter, only salt and water. Ha e Dr slipped s foul odor. Should I be concernrd?

    Reply
    • Emillie

      September 16, 2017 at 7:35 am

      Anything that smells bad is not a good ferment. Throw it away and try again… Keep everything really clean.

      Reply
    • Mel Luna

      September 4, 2018 at 9:56 pm

      I think your ratios are a little off. With the recipe provided there is not enough liquid to cover the nasturtium “berries.” Thanks for posting this though! I am giving it a try with a little extra water. Cheers!

      Reply
      • Emillie

        September 5, 2018 at 6:42 am

        That should be fine. The salt ratio is quite high. Enjoy!

        Reply
  2. Adam

    November 5, 2017 at 12:08 am

    Hi I have tonnes of seeds and was going to start fermenting them today. I like the idea of pickling them afterwards, but don’t wish to use sugar. Any tips?

    Reply
    • Emillie

      November 5, 2017 at 6:40 am

      Because there is vinegar in the recipe, I think you’re OK to leave out the sugar. I usually don’t use the sugar myself! Enjoy!

      Reply
  3. Maryellen Lambert

    August 2, 2018 at 11:15 pm

    Can you use apple cider vinegar instead of white vinegar?

    Reply
    • Emillie

      August 3, 2018 at 5:59 am

      Yes, just make sure it’s at 5% acidity. Store bought cider vinegar should be fine.

      Reply
  4. C tait

    October 2, 2020 at 1:05 am

    This describes canning (or bottling for UK readers) not fermenting.
    Fermenting is when you let them sit covered in brine and they form their own vinegar.

    Reply
    • Emillie

      October 2, 2020 at 8:12 am

      Hi, This is part of a two-part post. The section on fermenting is in another post (linked in the recipe notes). Personally, I ferment my nasturtiums, then can some of the fermented seeds for longer storage. Fermenting allows me to pick over time and gather enough seeds for a large batch. 🙂 I originally had both recipes in the same post, but then my recipe plugin stopped supporting multiple recipe posts. Enjoy!

      Reply
  5. Heinrich

    January 3, 2022 at 9:02 am

    Thank

    ★★★★

    Reply

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Hi, I'm Emillie, an island-dwelling fermentation enthusiast. Fermenting For Foodies features healthy recipes designed to feed your microbiome.
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