Capers (Capperi)

The Herb

Caper buds blossom on a flowering plant called Capperis Spinosa, a wild bush that grows along the coastlines of southern Italy. It thrives in arid, rocky areas, popping up even in the cracks of old walls. During the spring months, the plant sports large, rosy white flowers.

In the Kitchen

This aromatic plant has been used for thousands of years in Mediterranean cuisine; in Italy, capers top pizzas and grace alla puttanesca tomato-based sauces. The best capers are smaller in size; larger capers are actually less flavorful. Capers preserved in sea salt, especially those from the island of Pantelleria, are more flavorful than those stored in vinegar. Capers should never be cooked with fellow ingredients, but should be added at the last minute, and only briefly heated. Lengthy cooking causes capers to lose their aroma and take on a more pronounced bitter flavor.

Tips

Before using capers, be sure to rinse them well: capers stored in vinegar should be rinsed quickly under running water and then patted dry with a paper towel. Capers that have been stored in salt should be soaked for several minutes in cool water and patted dry

Healing Properties

In antiquity, capers were believed to have anti-rheumatic powers and were considered an all-around healthy ingredient.