Pickling nasturtium seed pods

[heidih]

I was inspired by SobaAddict's current food blog to survey the state of my nasturtiums as he did a lovely pasta dish with the flowers here. Unfortunately mine are nearing the end of their cycle and already forming seed pods. I tasted one and was impressed with its peppery nature in the raw state but it clearly needs some sort of treatment to bring out the best.

I know that the seed pods are often called "poor man's capers" and googled around to get ideas about preparation. Some recipes call for brining at room temp for one to three days and then leaving in a vinegar, herb and spice mixture to cure for a while. One recipe was as simple as a salted vinegar solution at room temp and dropping in the pods as you harvest them.

Has anyone made a version that came out well? I need to get started tomorrow or the next day as the pods are ripening fast and they need to be green based on what I have read.

Thanks for any input.

[andiesenji]

They work well with the refrigerator pickling process.

I've done them with the same stuff I use for my bread and butter pickles (sweetish) and with a brine without sugar but with some mustard seeds and a garlic clove.

This is the recipe from The Splendid Table

I bring the liquids to a boil and pour over the washed pods or buds (I also use the buds before they flower)

in small jars, cap and when cool put them in the fridge. I turn them upside down every day (put jars on a small tray in case they leak) and they are ready to use in three to five days.

You can make them spicier with a small hot pepper (whole so it can be removed) in the brine.

I plant batches a month apart so I will have a continuing supply. When I lived down in the Valley, I had them all year. The ones that I will plant next month will be in the shade, protected from the wind by a shade cloth barrier because they don't tolerate the hot winds here.

The heirloom variety "Peach Melba" has the best flavor in the flowers, leaves and buds or pods.

Some of the hybrid varieties have lost the flavor and some even have an unpleasant "musty" flavor.

Edited May 30, 2011 by andiesenji (log)

[heidih]

Thanks Andie- I am going out to pick them now. Just to clarify, when you did them refrigerator style but with the mustard seed and garlic clove, did you use them fresh or brine them on the counter like the Splendid Table recipe before proceeding?

[andiesenji]

Thanks Andie- I am going out to pick them now. Just to clarify, when you did them refrigerator style but with the mustard seed and garlic clove, did you use them fresh or brine them on the counter like the Splendid Table recipe before proceeding?

I washed them really well - I used the salad spinner multiple times - mine had a lot of tiny thrips but no obvious damage.

I just put them in the small jars, poured the hot liquid over them, capped them and left them to cool overnight and then refrigerated them.

I'm sure either way would work.

I forgot to mention that I also put some in with a batch of lemons I was preserving. They turned out pretty good.

[Panaderia Canadiense]

I've had excellent results with soaking 24 hours on the counter in a 10% brine solution, then jarring with cilantro seeds and small shallots under mild white vinegar and hot-sealing. They're ready in about 5 days this way.

[heidih]

I picked the seed pods and ended up with this custard cup full. It was a revelation to actually see how many seed pods there are. No wonder the stuff self-sows madly. I tasted as I went along and became quite aware of the level of green that is spicy versus the going to yellow that is getting too tough and not that flavorful.

I cleaned off the bits of stem and dried petals. Some of the pods were a quartet of smaller ones and I gently pulled them apart. Here they are all cleaned up.

I decided to go with a variation on the Splendid Table recipe Andie linked to. Based on Panaderia Canadiense 24 hour brine success. Here they are just after pouring in a hot brine of 2T salt and 1 cup water. I plan to leave them for a day and then do the vinegar solution. I do not plan to process them - they will reside in the fridge. Right now I am enamored of their intense sharp spice taste raw. Part of me wants to just leave that pristine, and the other part is leaning towards some yellow mustard seeds, a single garlic clove and either fresh sage or dill. Hhmmm...

[andiesenji]

Those are just lovely, Heidi.

I just had a chat on the phone with one of my book club members (meeting tomorrow - I have to take something on which to nibble) - and he mentioned his mother (Greek) would crush the green buds and flowers in honey, leave it overnight and the next day add hot water and drink it as a "tonic" when she would be feeling tired. (He is one of 14 children, I don't wonder the poor lady was tired!)

Their house was on a hillside and every windowbox full of flowers so you could hardly tell the house was white (with the traditional blue door) and the nasturtiums were the trailing type.

He doesn't remember if she picked the flower buds or the seed pods, just that they were little green "beads" and tasted peppery but the flowers did too.

Anyway, I thought it was interesting that there is yet another way of using them I had never heard of.

[heidih]

Love the tonic idea. It would make a refreshing variant on an iced tea for the summer. I had no idea how many of those pods there were and I still have some flowers coming so I may give that a go, or a variant thereof. Mine are the old fashioned trailers in a very sunny central courtyard so they have been thinking it is summer already and that is why they are finishing up so early.

[heidih]

In anticipation of enjoying my buds I searched around the forum regarding using capers and happened upon this post describing a very simple method of preserving them. He salts them for four hours, rinses and covers with cider vinegar. Depending on how this batch turns out I may try this alternate method. I only have a few little patches of flowers left so this would allow me to pick and salt them when they are in the perfect green state and add them to the jar in an ongoing fashion. I'm excited.

[heidih]

Success! I am very pleased with the result. I used them first after three days in the vinegar; tossed with roasted broccoli, lemon slices, potato and shrimp. It was a spicy but not too aggressive counterpoint to the other flavors and the texture was firm but not crunchy or awkward.

[heidih]

I have enjoyed these pods so much in various ways. Our weather is horrid with the drought and I fear the blow & go gardener ripping them out when I am not around because they are yelllowing in spots so I harvested all the nice green seed pods. 

 

Half of the harvest rinsed and the rest to be cleaned 

 

 

The batch in brine 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 17, 2014 by heidih (log)

[heidih]

Day 2 of brining.  I left plenty on the hillside for the next season.  I truly enjoy the anticipation, the running out and looking forward to the next year's harvest. It seems to make them more special. The jar really gets a work-out when eggplant, zucchini, and tomatoes are in season.

 

 

[donk79]

Very interesting, Heidi.  I do not have any nasturtiums now, but you are inspiring me to plant some!

[pufin3]

On 5/30/2011 at 7:45 PM, heidih said:

I was inspired by SobaAddict's current food blog to survey the state of my nasturtiums as he did a lovely pasta dish with the flowers here. Unfortunately mine are nearing the end of their cycle and already forming seed pods. I tasted one and was impressed with its peppery nature in the raw state but it clearly needs some sort of treatment to bring out the best.

I know that the seed pods are often called "poor man's capers" and googled around to get ideas about preparation. Some recipes call for brining at room temp for one to three days and then leaving in a vinegar, herb and spice mixture to cure for a while. One recipe was as simple as a salted vinegar solution at room temp and dropping in the pods as you harvest them.

Has anyone made a version that came out well? I need to get started tomorrow or the next day as the pods are ripening fast and they need to be green based on what I have read.

Thanks for any input.

Same with chive blossoms. We 'deadhead the chive blossoms and dry them by the hundreds. Then into freezer Ziplocks. Enough to last until time year's crop.

Absolutely wonderful in any fresh salad or savory dish calling for chives/shallots/onions. Fine chop them.

[Anna N]

1 hour ago, pufin3 said:

Same with chive blossoms. We 'deadhead the chive blossoms and dry them by the hundreds. Then into freezer Ziplocks. Enough to last until time year's crop.

Absolutely wonderful in any fresh salad or savory dish calling for chives/shallots/onions. Fine chop them.

 

Do you dry them and then freeze them? Or is the reference to freezer bags just to indicate heavier duty plastic bags?

[pufin3]

On 5/20/2016 at 8:43 AM, Anna N said:

 

Do you dry them and then freeze them? Or is the reference to freezer bags just to indicate heavier duty plastic bags?

I've done both. I make sure the chive blossoms are really dry then into ziplocks then into the freezer.

[Anna N]

6 hours ago, pufin3 said:

I've done both. I make sure the chive blossoms are really dry then into ziplocks then into the freezer.

Ah.  Thanks.  I think I misunderstood what you meant by drying.  I jumped to the conclusion that you were dehydrating them and then freezing them.   Thank you for the clarification.

[heidih]

The plants just slept through the drought years. I missed the sweet spot between green and mature. I'll blame it on the abrupft change in weather from massive rain pumping up the plants and then a heat wave. Sister was pulling the mostly yellow vines out and I asked to collect any green pods. An entire 1/4 cup but only costs me few minutes of prep, salt and water. Will let them counter "ferment' a day or 2, rinse and then cover with white vinegar and a smidge of sugar. Will report back when results are maybe edible