Poor Man's Capers

Nasturtiums are a fabulous addition to the vegetable garden. The leaves and flowers can be used in salads, they have mild antibiotic properties for times of illness, the bees love the flowers, the flowers are beautiful and you can pickle the green seeds.

Pickling nasturtium seeds is commonly known as "Poor Man's Capers". Today one of the jobs on my list was to pull out this plant as it was not allowing my strawberries much light, had grown through some spinach and was looking a little tired.



We collected all the green seeds after pulling it out and washed them, picked them through for any brown seeds and then placed them in a canning jar.



I made the pickle with:
1/3 bottle apple cider vinegar
Teaspoon crushed garlic
Teaspoon pickling spice
Half a lemon and onion finely sliced
1 teaspoon salt

Bring it to the boil and cool.



Pour it over the seeds until completely covered and seal.



We use capers in salads, on sandwiches and on pizzas and as they are REALLY expensive I do hope this substitute works.



My little guy picked some of the blooms which now smile at me at the sink when I wash dishes.