Capers
Choose salted or brined capers, rinse them properly, and use their sharp flavour in puttanesca, seafood and lemon pasta.
Capers are unopened flower buds of Capparis plants, preserved because the fresh bud is harsh and perishable. Mediterranean cooking uses several sizes and preservation styles.
Sharp, saline, floral and lightly mustard-like. Salted capers taste concentrated; brined capers bring vinegar acidity as well as salt.
Small buds are firm and neat; larger buds are softer. Fried capers open slightly and become crisp.
How it is made and why that matters.
Buds are harvested by hand, then cured in salt or brine to develop their familiar flavour.
Rinse salted capers thoroughly. Taste brined capers before deciding whether a sauce needs extra vinegar or lemon.
How pasta uses it.
Use in puttanesca, seafood tomato sauce, lemon butter pasta or crisped as a garnish.
Chop large capers so their intensity is spread through the sauce rather than landing in isolated bursts.
Find the real thing. Adapt with your eyes open.
Brined capers are the common supermarket format. Salt-packed jars are more likely at delis.
The jar lasts longer than fresh herbs, making capers useful for pantry pasta, but only if kept clean and refrigerated after opening.
What changes when you swap it.
| Alternative | Effect on the dish |
|---|---|
| Green olives | Briny and fruity but larger and less floral; chop finely. |
| Chopped cornichons | Provide acidity and crunch, with a more obvious pickle flavour. |
Storage
Refrigerate opened brined capers submerged in their liquid.
Keep salt-packed capers dry and follow the label; use a clean spoon every time.
Buying well
Choose buds for sauces and larger caper berries for antipasti, not as direct equivalents.
A cloudy or unpleasant-smelling opened jar should be discarded.
Common confusion
Caper berries are the plant's fruit; capers are unopened flower buds.
Rinsing controls salt but does not erase the ingredient's character.