Pickled Nasturtium Seeds

Nasturtium flowers are lovely as an edible garnish and the leaves have a peppery flavour and make a lovely addition to a salad but it’s the seeds that are the biggest revelation! Did you know that they are known as “the poor man’s capers”? (Watch out though, they are a lot more peppery than capers)

After the flowers have peaked, you can find the seeds under the leaves. Make sure to pick the seeds that are still firm and green. They are usually in little groups of 3 or 4 together. The best time to do this is early autumn. (If you don’t want to pickle them, dry the seeds and store them for planting next year.)

To make a basic pickle, mix together salt, sugar, apple cider vinegar (I used Long Meadow cider’s vinegar) and black pepper corns. Add some water and simmer in a pan until the sugar and salt have dissolved.

Rinse the seeds well to remove any dirt and pat dry with kitchen roll. Place in a jar, cover with the pickle liquid, add a few sprigs of dill (you can add whatever flavours you fancy) Seal the jar and store in the fridge. Leave them for a couple of weeks before using them.

They are a lovely peppery addition to salads, pasta dishes or anything that you would normally add capers to.

If you give them a go, let me know how you get on!