3ozMilkweed unopened flower buds, picked apart, stems discarded as much as possible, rinsed clean
Instructions
Combine the water and salt and whisk to dissolve. Pack the milkweed buds in a jar, and completely cover with the brine. If you can find a grape leaf or other leaf to hold them down, do it. I like to put a small stone in the top of the jar sometimes to hold things in place if they're floating. Screw on the lid.
Leave the jar on the counter for 2 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. If you've made other capers, know that milkweed capers can be more fickle and prone to mold, so keep an eye on them and stir often.
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 just fine. 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 simply put your jar on a scale, tare it to zero, working 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, which will be a similar salt content to what I have listed above. Both ways work fine.