Recipe: Nasturtium Vinegar

It's waste-free Wednesday and this is also a great Cooler Than Compost recipe, because did you know nasturtiums are edible? And they add a wonderful flavour to vinegar.

Over the coming weeks, we are going to dive into the wonderful world of this incredible and completely edible plant. If you don’t have nasturtiums growing in your own garden, chances are you could find some poking through a fence on a walk in your neighbourhood.

A quick word to the wise – before you pick any nasturtiums, make sure they aren’t at dog peeing height!

First cab off the rank in our recipe series is Nasturtium vinegar. For this easy-as-pie recipe you can use both leaves and flowers. The flowers alone lend to a softer flavour so add some leaves if you want some peppery bite to your vinegar! Use this recipe for a vinaigrette or to brighten up a dish like potato salad or coleslaw.

Time: Less than 30 minutes to prepare, then wait a few days

Ingredients:

-      2 big handfuls of nasturtium flowers and leaves.

-      1 – 2 cups of vinegar. White wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar is preferred.

Method:

1. Give your nasturtiums a shake down and rinse clean. Leave to dry on a tea towel.

2. Sterilise a jar and stuff full of your flowers and leaves.

3. Pour vinegar over the nasturtiums and give the jar a good shake!

4. Place jar in a cool place out of the sun and leave for a few days.

5. For a stronger flavour you can leave for up to a month but check in every few days to see how its coming along.

6. Once the vinegar has reached your desired flavour, use a fine mesh strainer or coffee filter to remove the nasturtiums.

The vinegar will stay fresh on a shelf for about 1 month and in the fridge for around 6 months.