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Award-winning chef, author and forager Alan Bergo. Food is all around you.

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How to Make Nasturtium Capers (Lacto-Fermented)

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Homemade nasturtium capers, lacto-fermented

Lots of people know you can eat nasturtium flowers, but nasturtium capers, also called poor mans capers are my favorite part of the plant. I’ve fermented unopened flowers from a lot of plants, and these are the best substitute for capers I know of.

The only tricky thing in making these is that it’s not easy to get a ton of them. Unless you know someone with a really large nasturtium patch, you’re going to have to work for them. Making them is worth the effort though.

Edible nasturtiums

Variegated nasturtiums are some of my favorites, don’t forget you can eat the leaves and flowers too.

You don’t need a bunch of fancy ingredients to make capers

Before you embark on a journey to stuff jars of capers full of herbs and seasonings for a fermented nasturtium capers recipe, think back to the first time you bought capers. Regular capers are just unopened flowers of a Mediterranean vine (Capparis spinosa).

There’s nothing in most capers besides salt brine and the pickled nasturtium seeds. There’s no rosemary, no peels of lemon rind, bay leaf, thyme, chilis, huge cloves of garlic, or peppercorns of any color.

I love seeing pictures of things in cute canning jars with ribbons on them, but you don’t have to add all kinds of stuff to make great tasting capers. All you really need is a little time, salt, water, and nasturtium seed pods. Personally, I like clean tasting pickles more than ones that are muddy with too many flavors.

Lamb Sweetbreads with Lettuce, Brown Butter and Nasturtium Capers

Fermenting the seed pods is the key to flavor 

Most of the recipes out there have vinegar in them. If you look on the side of your jar of capers from the store you’ll probably notice vinegar, but it’s unnecessary, and vinegar also makes somethings too soft. Recipes that call for pouring boiling vinegar over capers and processing in a water bath will make unimpressive, soft capers.

Just a little salt and water in the right proportions, will easily ferment right on your counter top at room temperature. After a few days, and then some time in the fridge, the pH will low enough that it will be shelf stable without any vinegar at all.

I found I like keep them in the fridge, where they will last until the next ice age as long as they’re kept underneath the brine. With enough patience, things kept in brine under refrigeration will ferment just like they would outside of the fridge, just at a slower pace.

Edible nasturtiums

The seed pods are here and there, you’ll have to hunt for them.

The only slightly tricky part with fermenting in brine (lacto-fermentation) is deciding how much salt to put in your brine. I like, and have had good success using 3-5% brine for my casual ferments at home.

If you don’t know, using a scale to measure your salt for fermenting in brine is a great key for success. Scales are cheap now days, so if you don’t have one, go order one, weighing ingredients for baking and fermenting will make you a better cook. Even so, I’m including both volume and weight measurements for simple, small batch brine fermented capers here.

Harvest nasturtium seed pods as you find them and add to the brine

At the end of the day what really matters is the flavor. Nasturtium capers taste the same as store bought capers after fermenting, but with a little more crunch. If you want softer capers, check out my post on milkweed capers. The only real difference you’ll notice is that nasturtium capers have a strong aroma, but it doesn’t affect the flavor.

The only tricky part is that it can be tricky to find lots of seed pods. The good part is you can pick them as they come, and drop them in brine with the rest of the buds as they ferment. Eventually flavors will align and they’ll all taste the same.

Oh, you can use both unopened flower buds and green seed pods, but the seed pods are superior in flavor and texture by far. The flower bud you see below was just an accident.

Homemade nasturtium capers, lacto-fermented

Homemade nasturtium capers, lacto-fermented
Print Recipe
4.67 from 18 votes

Nasturtium Capers (Lacto-Fermented)

Naturally lacto-fermented nasturtium capers taste near identical to store bought, but have a better texture. I like to use the ratios below to fill a quart jar, but you can scale it up or down however you like.
Prep Time5 mins
Fermentation Time14 d
Course: Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: Capers, Fermentation, Nasturtium

Ingredients

  • 25 grams kosher salt 1.5 tablespoon
  • 500 grams water 2 cups
  • Nasturtium seed pods as needed, rinsed clean

Instructions

  • Combine the water and salt and whisk to dissolve. Pour the salt water in to a pint jar jar or other container and add the nasturtium seed pods, then screw on the lid.
  • Leave the jar on the counter for 3 days to start fermenting, or leave out a bit longer if you want them to sour more quickly, then transfer to the fridge. Open the jar here and there to check on the capers and release carbon dioxide and to make sure water doesn't evacuate. I often put mason jars of ferments in another larger container to catch possible drips.
  • After about 2 weeks the capers should have a nice flavor, but if you leave them in the fridge longer they will continue to age and develop until the pH is as low as it can go. More or less, the longer they sit, the better they will get, and you can let your palette be your guide.

Notes

Salt Ratios 
The proportions listed will give you a 5% brine if you use a either a scale or volume measurements (cups, etc). From there, you just need enough of the brine to cover the amount of nasturtium pods you have.
It's a good idea to make sure the seed pods are covered with more brine than you think you'll need. 2 cups of water will cover 1 cup of nasturtium capers. Make sure not to pack the jars too full, since water can evacuate during the fermentation process. 
Alternate Method: Weighing everything and multiplying by .03 (%)
Another easy way to ferment the capers is to put your jar on a scale, tare it to zero in grams, add the capers and water to cover by a good inch or two, then multiply the total grams of the contents by .03. This will be a similar salt content to what I have listed above. Both ways work fine. 

References 

Jeremy Fox: On Vegetables 

Use in cooking 

Sweetbreads with Nasturtium Capers 

 

Related

Previous Post: « Woodchuck Salad with Hickory Nut Oil and Squash
Next Post: Fresh Spaghetti with Colatura and Waterleaf »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Dee

    January 19, 2019 at 11:07 am

    5 stars
    I so enjoy your posts. I think I need you to come to my woods to help me in hunting for mushrooms. I know they are there. Just not sure what to do with them!

    Reply
    • Alan Bergo

      January 20, 2019 at 9:18 am

      Thanks Dee, are you located in the Midwest? I visit locations to assess their wild food potential and walk around with the owners. You never know what you might have right in the back 40.

      Reply
  2. Dwight Zietlow

    January 20, 2019 at 2:35 pm

    5 stars
    Hey Alan are you using the flower buds of the nasturtium or the seed pod?
    You had mentioned both in this article.

    Reply
    • Alan Bergo

      January 20, 2019 at 2:58 pm

      Dwight! Seed pods-it’s listed in the recipe. Also…..SPIDER WORT CORDIAL. 🙂

      Reply
    • Polly

      June 22, 2022 at 1:09 am

      “ Oh, you can use both unopened flower buds and green seed pods, but the seed pods are superior in flavor and texture by far. The flower bud you see below was just an accident.”

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        June 22, 2022 at 6:36 am

        I don’t understand what that means.

        Reply
  3. NWP Sarah

    July 6, 2020 at 2:18 pm

    5 stars
    I love your site and it’s encouraged me to forage a bit more around my area! I tried the fermented nasturtium seeds and weighted out the salt for brine. They have been fermenting for about a week and my question is about the smell. I’ve fermented other items but this is the first time it smells like sulfur, rotten eggs, is this normal? Is that to long, to short, wrong bribe, let it air out? They have gone a bit white since I started and it’s been sealed in airtight container. Did I go wrong or is this how it should be?
    Thanks in advance:)

    Reply
    • Alan Bergo

      July 6, 2020 at 4:53 pm

      The loss of color is normal. Yes, brassicas can develop some strong aromas, pickled breakfast radishes can be horrific. The flavor of nasturtium capers is one of the best though. Sauerkraut smells foul to people too.

      Reply
  4. Kelley Smith

    July 20, 2020 at 2:47 pm

    5 stars
    Hello. I am going out to pick my nasturtium seed pods NOW! I can’t wait to make these delicious capers. Thank you for sharing such great information and recipe for this.

    Kelley

    Reply
    • Alan Bergo

      July 21, 2020 at 7:44 pm

      Good deal, also, as one other commentators mentioned the smell is, unique, but the taste is very good. 🙂

      Reply
  5. Marie Murphy

    September 4, 2020 at 10:01 pm

    5 stars
    Fabulous,fantastic and I do not intend to waste a single nasturtium seed thankyou so much!

    Reply
  6. Bonita

    September 16, 2020 at 7:03 am

    5 stars
    Hi there Alan, you mention Kosher salt… can I use pink himalayan salt instead ?

    Reply
    • Alan Bergo

      September 18, 2020 at 7:44 am

      Absolutely.

      Reply
  7. Julie Crossen

    September 19, 2020 at 3:23 pm

    5 stars
    I’m so glad I found this recipe. I was about to use a vinegar brine and I would have wasted a bunch of naturtium pods. Horrors!

    Reply
  8. Zelmaré

    November 11, 2020 at 11:58 pm

    5 stars
    I’ve just ripped out a patch of nasturtiums and found a handful of seed pods – I’m going right out to look for some more to put in brine! Lovely article, thank you so much!

    Reply
  9. Leanne

    November 19, 2021 at 7:03 am

    5 stars
    Hwllo. Just did mine about 2 hours ago. The seedpods are still floating to the top, do I need to add a weight of some sort to enaure the top ones go under the brine?

    Reply
    • Alan Bergo

      November 20, 2021 at 6:12 am

      Patience. Stir it occasionally or shake the jar.

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Hot to Make Homemade Fermented Capers says:
    May 9, 2019 at 10:23 am

    […] Nasturtium seed pods […]

    Reply
  2. Rainbow Trout Meuniere With Wild Capers says:
    December 9, 2020 at 8:34 am

    […] of little bud or young growth and making my own. Hands down the best ones are made from fermented, unripe nasturtium seed pods, but I also have another wild caper recipe here. For the trout I used a mix of different pickled […]

    Reply

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HALP! I’ve been keeping an eye on two loaded mul HALP! I’ve been keeping an eye on two loaded mulberry trees and both got a bunch of fruit knocked down by the storms and wind. 

If anyone in West WI or around the Twin Cities knows of some trees, (ideally on private property but beggars can’t be choosers) that I could climb and shake with a tarp underneath, shoot me a DM and let’s pick some! 🤙😄

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#throwadogabone #mansquirrel #beattlefruit #mulberries #shakintrees
Lampascioni, or edible hyacinth bulbs are one of t Lampascioni, or edible hyacinth bulbs are one of the more interesting things I’ve eaten. 

These are an ancient wild food traditionally harvested in Southern Italy, especially in Puglia and the Salentine Peninsula, as well as Greece and Crete. I’ve seen at least 6-7 different names for them. 

A couple different species are eaten, but Leopoldia comosa is probably the one I see mentioned the most. They also grow wild in North America. 

The bulbs are toxic raw, but edible after an extended boil. Traditionally they’re preserved in vinegar and oil, pickled, or preserves in other methods using acid and served as antipasti. (Two versions in pic 3). 

They’re one of the most heavily documented traditional wild foods I’ve seen. There’s a few shots of book excerpts here.

The Oxford companion to Italian Food says you can eat them raw-don’t do that. 

Even after pickling, the bulbs are aggressively extremely bitter. Definitely an acquired taste, but one that’s grown on me. 

#traditionalfoods #vampagioli #lampascione #cucinapovera #lampascioni #leopoldiacomosa #foraging
Went to some new spots yesterday looking for poke Went to some new spots yesterday looking for poke sallet and didn’t do too well (I’m at the tip of its range). I did see some feral horseradish though which I don’t see very often. 

Just like wild parsnip, this is the exact same plant you see in the store and garden-just escaped. 

During the growing season the leaves can be good when young. 

They have an aggressive taste bitter enough to scare your loved ones. Excellent in a blend of greens cooked until extra soft, preferably with bacon or similar. 

For reference, you don’t harvest the root while the plant is growing as they’ll be soft and unappealing-do that in the spring or fall. This is essentially the same as when people tell you to harvest in months that have an R in them. 

#amoraciarusticana #foraging #horseradishleaves #horseradish #bittergreens
In Italy chicken of the woods is known as “fungo In Italy chicken of the woods is known as “fungo del carrubo” (carob tree mushroom) as it’s one of the common tree hosts there. 

My favorite, and really the only traditional recipe I’ve found for them so far is simmered in a spicy tomato sauce with hot chile and capers, served with grilled bread. 

Here I add herbs too: fresh leaves of bee balm that are perfect for harvesting right now and have a flavor similar to oregano and thyme. 

Makes a really good side dish or app, especially if you shower it with a handful of pecorino before scooping it up with the bread. 

#chickenofthewoods #fungodelcarrubo #allthemushroomtags #traditionalfoods #beebalm
First of the year 😁. White-pored chicken of t First of the year 😁. 

White-pored chicken of the woods (Laetiporus cincinnatus) are my favorite chicken. 

Superior bug resistance, slightly better flavor + texture. They also stay tender longer compared to their more common yellow-pored cousins. Not a single bug in this guy. 

#treemeat #ifoundfood #foraging #laetiporuscincinnatus #chickenofthewoods
TBT brisket face 💦. Staff meal with @jesseroes TBT brisket face 💦. Staff meal with 
@jesseroesler and crew @campwandawega
📸 @misterberndt 

#staffmeal #brisket #meatsweats #naptime
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