Instructions: Capers are the flower buds of a shrub native to the Mediterranean. Capers can be eaten raw the smaller the better but are usually lightly dried in the sun and then salted. (The seeds are also salted and dried.)

Salted capers from Sicily particularly those from the island of Pantelleria are the most delicious as the fresh flavour of these smaller capers seems to be complemented by the salting process rather than drowned by it. We also found excellent salted capers in the market in Caligari Sardinia on a recent wine trip.

Capers need to be soaked and rinsed to remove the salt. Place in a sieve and wash the salt off under a running tap. If not using straightaway cover with the best wine vinegar you have. The flavour changes however when soaked in vinegar.

Capers are the small flower buds of a shrub that grows wild throughout the Mediterranean. The smallest capers considered the best come from the island of Pantelleda. Affer picking the buds are dried in the sun then salted.

To prepre salted capers dose thoroughly under; running cold tap for 1 minute. Taste to check if they an still salty. Leave to soak in a bowl of cold water for hal an hour. Rinse again and use immediately or cover with red wine vinegar

Categories: mediterranean
Capers grow wild all around the Mediterranean and they have been used there for thousands of years. The small pretty bush which often appears to be trailing as it prefers to grow from high ground has large pink flowers which resemble those of the lily or wild rose and they are ephemeral flowering in the morning and gone by the evening. On the Aegean island of Santorini where they are proud of their capers they also pickle the young caper shoots and serve them with olive oil as a special mezze called kaparofylla. Capers can be either pickled in brine or drysalted.

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