Capers

Common Name

Capers were written about as a food in one of the oldest written stories ever found, the Gilgamesh, inscribed in clay tablets by the Sumerian's around 3000 BC. Also known to the ancient Romans and Greeks, capers were used both medicinally and as a culinary spice.

The Bible makes mention of capers, which were sun dried and pickled in wine, brine or vinegar and salt, to flavor mild or unsavory foods.

Too salty to eat on their own, capers have been served in sauces since the 10th century. Pope Pius X reportedly dined on them in the 16th century.

Capers are not seeds or berries, rather the un-ripened flower buds of Capparis spinosa, a perennial shrub native to Mediterranean countries. They are harvested by hand and left to dry out in the sun. Raw, un-preserved capers do not have much taste, but once placed in brine or vinegar they develop a tangy, somewhat sour flavor that is a favorite among cooks.

About the size of a pea, smaller capers are younger and are considered better quality, and, because they are hand-picked they can be quite pricey.

Capers are often confused with kippers, which are small split-dressed salted or smoked herring favored by the English as a breakfast food served with toast. Bearing no resemblance to kippers in size or in origin, capers do have a long-standing love affair with the sea; they can be found at most cocktail parties, nestled atop smoked salmon and garnished with thinly-sliced onion and fresh dill.

Purported Medicinal Qualities*

Historically, capers were used as a digestive aid and caper tea was used as a treatment for rheumatism. Today, capers are generally considered a culinary spice, however they do contain rutin, a powerful anti-oxidant that may prevent certain types of cancer.

Historically capers has been used to:

• Aid digestion
• As a diuretic
• As anti-oxidant
• As a carminative
• Suppress coughs
• Delay onset of cataracts

*Always check with your healthcare provider before consuming, inhaling, applying or otherwise ingesting any non-prescription of prescription natural or homeopathic substance of pharmaceutical. ChefatHand.com is not recommending, suggesting, inferring or otherwise endorsing the use of any herb or spice as a medicine or therapeutic remedy.

Culinary/Suggested Use

Capers are an excellent addition to many milder dishes, as well as soups, sauces, fish and poultry. After removing capers from the vinegar or brine, rinse thoroughly and pat dry gently in a clean cloth or un-bleached paper towel. Due to their high salt content, it is best to add capers toward the end of the cooking process and also cut-back on other salty ingredients.

Store capers in the refrigerator in a tightly sealed container, where they will keep for up to nine months.  Food for thought:

• Add capers to any seafood or poultry dish
• Add capers to lightly flavored pasta sauces
• Toss a few capers on almost any type of pizza
• Capers love eggs. Add to any egg dish
• Capers pair beautifully with tomatoes and onions
• Try capers, smoked salmon, and raw onions on crackers or rye bread
• Add capers to a cream or cheese based sauce
• Add capers to soups or stews
• Use capers to dress up vegetable side dishes

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