Pickled Nasturtium Pods (Poor Man's Capers)
The cottage-garden secret: green nasturtium seed pods brined and pickled into peppery little 'capers' that do everything the real thing does on a fraction of the budget.
Ingredients
one batchFrom the garden
- 1 cup green nasturtium seed pods, picked while still green and firm — gather them young — yellowing pods turn woody and hot
From the pantry
- 2 tbsp canning or pickling salt — for the soaking brine
- 1 cup distilled white vinegar (5%) — or apple cider vinegar for a softer flavor
- 1 tsp sugar
- ½ tsp black peppercorns
- 1 bay leaf (optional)
Steps
tap a step to dim it as you go- Collect the plump green seed pods that form where the flowers drop — they often come in clusters of two or three. Rinse them and pull off any stem bits.
- Dissolve the salt in 2 cups of cool water and submerge the pods. Soak 2–3 days at cool room temperature; this brining step tames their raw horseradish-like bite.
- Drain and rinse the pods, then pack them into a clean half-pint jar with the peppercorns and the bay leaf if using.
- Bring the vinegar and sugar to a boil, stirring to dissolve, and pour the hot brine over the pods to cover completely. Cool to room temperature, lid, and refrigerate.
- Wait at least a week before eating — two is better. Use them anywhere capers go: pan sauces, potato salad, smoked fish, pasta puttanesca.