Caperberries

While caper is well known among gourmets worldwide, caper berries is still unknown because few masters know how to make it edible. Caper berries versus capers is like caper plants versus its fruits. Capers are not the fruit of the plant but the buds that give life to the wonderful white and pink flowers typical of Pantelleria. Let's find out what to do with caper berries to consume them.

Caper berries collection starts in August. Normally caper berry keeps the seeds of the plant inside them but, picking them at the right time, this element will not cause any annoyance when they are eaten. The appearance undoubtedly recalls capers but the dimensions are decidedly different: they tend to be larger than capers having a more elongated and tapered shape. Regarding flavour, capers vs caper berries is the battle with some similar features: same aroma yet more intense in the caper with same flavour, but more intense in caper berries.

Once harvested, usually stem is removed from caper berry but it is not difficult to find on the market the product retaining few centimeters. It is done mostly for beauty and practicality since it is not an inedible element of the plant.

What to do with caper berry storage

Similar to capers, its berries must be preserved with the use of salt to ensure a longer life. Once picked, they should be washed with water and left to dry in the sun for two days. After this first drying phase, caper berries must be preserved in salt requiring glass jar and coarse salt.

The bottom of the jar should be completely covered with a layer of salt that will act as a new bottom, then layers of caper berries will alternate with layers of salt until the jar is filled. It needs to be closed with a last layer of abundant salt to completely cover caper berries.

At this point, the jar closed with its lid must be kept in a dry place and it will be important to open the jar daily to eliminate the liquid originating from the dehydration of the fruits called draining. How to preserve caper berry in the best way? Don't skimp on salt, the amount of salt must be equal to amount of caper berries in terms of weight. The dehydration process is essential to be able to enjoy tasty and crunchy caper berries like the ones we offer in our shop, our famous caper berries in sea salt.

Applying this process, caper berries can be stored for up to two years. But we are sure that the jar will not last long!

An alternative on how to preserve caper berries is extra virgin olive oil. Also in this mode, after being collected, rinsed, acidificated by vinegar and dehydrated, it will be necessary to move them to another glass jar without pressing them and fill the entire container with extra virgin olive oil. After one day, just check that the oil level is sufficient to cover caper berries: if not, you will need more oil to top up the jar. Just drain the excess oil from the preserved caper berries when you want to consume them.

Explore unique recipe of caper berries in oil in our online shop offering 100-gram jar of caper berries in extra virgin olive oil!