Capers, Capparis spinosa
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August 28, 2021
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Have you ever eaten Chicken Piccata with its thinly-sliced chicken and bright, fresh sauce? The lemony sauce taste comes from capers. How about bagels and lox with capers?
Capers are the immature, unripened, green flower buds of the caper bush (Capparis spinosa). They are usually prepared by brining and pickling. Capers are also called Finder’s Rose, although it is not in the rose family, but its own family Capparidaceae.
The caper bush is a sprawling evergreen shrub that grows to three feet tall, but may spread to six feet wide. The plants are grown commercially in Spain, France, Italy and Algeria.
If the buds are left to open, the flowers are pinkish-white, 2-3 inches across. The flowers will then produce the fruit, called caper berries. These also are used in Mediterranean cooking.
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Katie Martin