Nasturtium seeds. I need your advice how to prepare them for use

jowitt.europe
jowitt.europe Posts: 1,465 admin
edited October 2020 in General Recipes

I have harvested quite a few nasturtium seeds. I need your advice. What do you do with the seeds? Pickle, dry, ferment? I would appreciate some ease recipes.o


Comments

  • Torey
    Torey Posts: 5,679 admin

    I have never made nasturtium seed pickles (aka nasturtium capers) before but am determined to do so this year. I have been searching for good recipes and have come up with a couple I am going to use.

    This one from Harrowsmith magazine (Canada's answer to Mother Earth News) brines the seeds for a couple of days before pickling. I have seen other recipes that also call for brining so that might seem like a thing that nasturtium seeds need? https://www.harrowsmithmag.com/5312/grow-what-your-love-how-to-make-nasturtium-capers.

    This one from Spruce Eats is pretty basic and doesn't include brining but allows for the addition of your choice of other spices. https://www.thespruceeats.com/nasturtium-capers-1403021

    Hopefully, someone who has experience with pickling them will offer some advice to us new nasturtium picklers.

  • jowitt.europe
    jowitt.europe Posts: 1,465 admin

    @torey thank you very much! Both recipes seem to be quite easy. I will try out!

  • VermontCathy
    VermontCathy Posts: 1,987 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I've never eaten nasturtium seeds, but the leaves and flowers have a wonderful black pepper spicy taste. I grow them under lights to add flavor to fresh winter salads.

  • jowitt.europe
    jowitt.europe Posts: 1,465 admin

    @VermontCathy try one. It is such a pleasantly spicy seed. I am even thinking of drying and grounding some to use like pepper. And it is a natural antibiotic for respiratory tracks. So, in summer, whenever I have a feeling I am not 100+% healthy, I just chew a seed 😊

  • jowitt.europe
    jowitt.europe Posts: 1,465 admin

    I did pickle my nasturtium seeds. This is my experience 😊.

    The ones I picked were still green and not hard.

    I boiled the marinade: 400 ml of water, 200 ml of vinegar (I used apple vinegar), 1 table spoon of honey, 1 table spoon of salt.

    I added small pieces of dill stem, horseradish root, a few black pepper seeds into each small glass, filled them with nasturtium seeds and poured hot marinade. Put covers on but not screwed them, left to soak for 24 hours. Then poured the marinade from each glass back into a pot, brought it to boil, poured back onto seeds and this time I closed the jars.

    Sounds a lot of work, but it is a small amount of seeds and small number of glasses, so I really enjoyed experimenting.

    The test, of course, is in the tasting. I leave them for at least a month, before I open the first one 😊


  • VermontCathy
    VermontCathy Posts: 1,987 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I will be curious to hear if these could be a locally grown substitute for basic spices like ground black pepper. Let us know once you taste them

    Temperate regions can grow a good range of herbs, but most spices are tropical plants.

  • jowitt.europe
    jowitt.europe Posts: 1,465 admin

    @VermontCathy I have read that dried and ground nasturtium seeds can be used as black pepper substitute. I will collect and dry some to try out.

    I used dried papaya seeds as substitutes for black pepper and I love these. But papaya does not grow here.

  • Hassena
    Hassena Posts: 345 ✭✭✭

    That's a ton of seed! Great recipes too. We usually just dry the seeds in paper bags to replant next year. Maybe one year we shall a bounty of seeds worth pickling. Thanks for sharing.