Nasturtium "capers"? Anyone make or try these?

[wifezilla]

"Poor Man's Capers

Real capers are pickled buds from the caper bush, a perennial shrub that thrives in the Mediterranean region. Capers are a gourmet condiment and these pickled nasturtium seeds are an impressive substitute.

After the blossom falls off, pick the half-ripened (still green) nasturtium seed pods. Continue picking as long as the seed crop continues. Drop them in a boiled and cooled mixture of:

1 quart white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons pickling salt
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1/2 lemon, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon pickling spice
1 clove garlic, smashed
4 to 6 peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon celery seed

Keep the mixture refrigerated and use the nasturtium pickles in sauces, dips, casseroles, soups, stews and as edible decorations. For an added attraction, freeze 2 or 3 nasturtium capers in ice cube trays and use them to dress up your next glass of V-8 or favorite ale. "
http://www.plantea.com/nasturtium.htm


Anyone?

Ideas on how to keep the green ones fresh until I get enough together to pickle a batch?

 

[journey11]

Sounds like you could make up the mix and just add them to the jar as you get them. I pickled ramps this spring in a similar recipe and they had to sit at least a month before they were ready to eat anyway. They get better the longer they've been in there.

I remember eating capers straight from the jar as a kid and LOVED them. I don't know what special recipe my mom must have bought them for, but I am a sucker for just about anything pickled and they probably never made it into the dish.

 

[wifezilla]

I've never even tasted a caper!

What do they taste like?

 

[thistlebloom]

Hmmm. taste is very subjective, but apparently they went over big with Journey . I've only had them a few times, and to me they tasted like pickled juniper .

 

[NwMtGardener]

I LOVE real capers, and the nasturtium variety sounds good too! Too bad i didnt plant any nastutium this year, what was i thinking?!

We pan fry capers at the restaurant where i work and toss them in these awesome caesar salads, with asiago cheese and croutons, and an anchovy on top, YUM!