Maybe you’ve chopped and stirred them into avinaigretteoraioli. Perhaps you’ve thrown a handful of capers into yourspaghetti alla puttanescaorsole en papillote. Or you’ve sprinkled them over yourlox and bagelordeviled eggs. But even if you’ve used them abundantly in your kitchen, it’s possible that the unbloomed buds of theCapparis spinosashrub remain a bit of a mystery.
To help shine a light on this powerhouse pantry staple, this guide to capers lays out what exactly they are and where they grow; what to look for when shopping for capers at the market; and, most important, the best ways to put their unique flavor to work.
Don’t stress (too much) about where they were grown
Caper shrubs are native to the Mediterranean and grow all over the region, including in France, Italy, Greece, Spain, Turkey, Morocco, and Algeria. Left to their own devices, wild capers prefer to wind their way up craggy rocks or hide inside the cracks of old stone buildings. But today capers sold for export are primarily grown on farms dedicated to their cultivation.
In France, the town of Roquevaire in Provence is known as the country’s historic “caper capital.” And in Italy, Pantelleria—an island built on volcanic rock off the coast of Sicily—grows the country’s only IGP (Protected Geographical Indication) certified capers. As with any produce, things like soil quality and microclimate impact a caper’s overall taste and quality. But according to Dino Borri, the Global VP ofEatalyNorth America, high-quality capers can be cultivated in a variety of locales. That’s why, he said, there is no need to get “too invested” in only buying capers grown in one specific place.
Size matters
Caper shrubs do what all flowering plants do: grow and grow until they eventually bloom and fruit. Farmers attempt to catch caper buds at their smallest, most compact stage—long before the plant can produce flowers. “The best caper farmers go out every day and pick the small closed ones,” said author and Italian food expert,Elizabeth Minchilli.
The smallest capers are called nonpareils and from there, they size up as surfines, capucines, fines, and capotes—getting floppier in texture and, according to Borri, “less concentrated in flavor” as they grow. Large capers are not inherently bad—some people prefer the meatier texture of slightly larger buds. And yet, when it comes to quality and value, Borri said that capers picked when they are between 4 and 7 mm are considered premium. At the store you will be able to spot the difference between smaller and larger capers, but if you want to know exactly what size you’re buying, the bottle will tell you.
The four methods of preserving capers
Like olives, capers are never used fresh and must be cured to reduce their natural bitterness, develop their flavor, and soften their texture. There are four primary methods of preserving capers: brining, salting, packing in oil, and dehydrating. The first two methods are the most common.
These commonly found capers are stored in glass bottles and covered with a salt water brine. The brine, which almost always includes vinegar, preserves the capers almost indefinitely, making them the ultimate shelf-stable flavor booster. The only downside to this preservation method is that the sharper vinegar notes can sometimes dominate the caper’s delicate flavor.
According to Minchilli, “If you are really serious about having the taste of capers in your dish, then salt-cured is the way to go.” In this method the capers are packed in nothing but sea salt, bottled with a thick crust of salt crystals clinging to each bud. The salt accentuates the capers’ flavor without overpowering it, but the capers will dry out over time. In the store, look for salt-cured capers that are plump rather than shriveled or dried out and with salt that is white rather than tinted yellow, which is a sign they have been sitting on the shelf for a while.
Like tuna or anchovies, capers are sometimes simply washed and then jarred with nothing more than extra-virgin olive oil. The oil helps preserve the capers while maintaining their fresh taste and crunch; this variety is the perfect addition to a cheese plate. Oil-packed capers are more difficult to find than other varieties but a treat when you can get them.
最常见的四个保护我thods, dehydrated capers (sometimes called dry capers) are typically salted for about a month until they undergo lacto-fermentation. The salt then gets washed away and the capers are dehydrated until crisp, making them a crunchy garnish for salads and soups and delicious to snack on. Dehydrated capers tend to be more expensive than other varieties.
Spring for quality
Any of the four preservation methods listed above can produce delicious capers, but according to Borri, it is important to keep an eye out for quality. “I would never tell anyone to stay away from one type of caper over another, but if I see any preservatives listed in the ingredients, I will not put them on the shelf,” he said. When shopping for capers at the store, lower-quality capers will typically include additions like lactic acid, citric acid, or acetic acid. These bottles may be less expensive, but the added ingredients can give the capers an aggressively sour or flat flavor.
Soak, rinse, repeat
When working with either brined or salt-cured capers, you will get the best flavor if you remove some of the cure. For brined capers, a quick rinse and drain should help wash off any lingering vinegar taste. For salt-cured capers, Minchilli recommends soaking them for at least 15 minutes in cool water and then rinsing them to mellow the excess saltiness. “Sometimes I even quickly blanch super salty ones in boiling water,” she said.
Don’t forget about caper berries!
When a caper shrub is allowed to fruit, it produces gorgeous purple and white flowers followed by fruits called caper berries. The berries resemble oblong olives. They have thin skins and an attached stem and contain small, crunchy seeds. Just like caper buds, they are cured before being eaten (typically in vinegar-laced brine), but thanks to their size they typically pack a more intense flavor punch. Caper berries have a similar slippery texture to cocktail onions—it is no wonder that they make an ideal garnish for drinks. They can also be chopped forpasta dishesandsalads.
How to use capers
Go old school with your capers by making classicchicken piccata, or add them to asalsa verdeto dress up chicken and rice. Add a layer of flavor to a vegetarianmuffuletta sandwichor make a simple (but complex tasting!)tuna, lemon, and caper saucefor pasta. Maximize capers’ crunch by frying the buds in olive oil, then sprinkling them like briny croutons overpanzanella tomato toasts.
