What are Capers + 10 Caper Recipes - Love and Lemons (2024)

FAQs

Are capers healthy or unhealthy? ›

Capers are a salty ingredient commonly used in Mediterranean cooking. Though they're small in size and usually consumed in small portions, capers are a good source of nutrients like vitamin K and copper and are also rich in the antioxidant compound quercetin.

Capers generally are used as a flavor accent, a sort of finishing savory-salty bite for sauces, seafood, lamb and salads. Just remember -- they are intense, so a little goes a long way.

Capers also pair beautifully with seafood, like with lox on a bagel, or in this Smoked Salmon Pasta. Even the caper brine can be of use—try it in place of olive juice in your dirty martini, add some to mayo-based dressings in place of vinegar or citrus juice, or use it to pickle other raw veggies.

If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, stick with food amounts until more is known. Diabetes: There is some concern that capers might alter blood sugar control in people with diabetes. Monitor you blood sugar closely if you have diabetes and use capers. Surgery: Capers might affect blood sugar levels.

Additionally, you can rinse capers before using them to help decrease their sodium content. Capers are relatively high in sodium, which may increase your blood pressure levels. High sodium diets have also been linked to other adverse effects, including an increased risk of stomach cancer.

Because capers are typically high in sodium, it's best to soak and rinse them thoroughly before eating to remove excess salt, especially if you have high blood pressure or are following a low-sodium diet. For most people, however, they can be enjoyed in moderation as a nutritious part of a well-rounded diet.

Capers are a common ingredient in Mediterranean cuisine, especially Cypriot, Italian, Aeolian Greek, and Maltese food. The immature fruit of the caper shrub are prepared similarly and marketed as "caper berries".

When you buy capers in the grocery store, they will be pickled and packed either in salt or brine. If they're packed in brine, drain them before using and rinse, if desired, to remove some of the saltiness. Salt-packed capers should be soaked for about 15 minutes in water and then rinsed.

Harvesting capers is an arduous process because they can only be picked by hand. They're too small and delicate to be plucked by machine, so they're harvested individually. It's what makes them so expensive.

Here are their guidelines for how long you can keep opened containers of common condiments (commercially produced, not homemade) in your refrigerator: BBQ Sauce: 4 months. Capers: 1 year (brined) Horseradish: 3-4 months (prepared)

How to prepare capers for cooking? ›

For cooking, tasters agreed that small capers are best because they can be used as is; larger capers are too potent to eat whole and should be chopped. Besides adding an extra step, chopped capers disintegrate when added to sauces.

Using capers

Salted capers, preferred by many Italian cooks for their meaty and intense flavor, should be soaked in cold water for 15 minutes, then rinsed before using. Brined capers can be used straight from the jar unless a recipe specifies otherwise. The brine adds flavor.

Store unopened capers in a cool, dark place away from sunlight, such as a pantry. If your pantry has a history of going above 75 degrees F at any point, opt for the fridge instead. Once opened, they should have a one-way ticket to the fridge. Capers can also be stored in the freezer in an airtight container.

The taste of a caper is reminiscent of the lemony tang and brininess of green olives, but with a smack of floral tartness all their own. Because they're packed in brine, capers also have a very salty, savory flavor profile.

Beyond their flavorful and low calorie nature, capers provide a variety of health benefits. Long respected in folk medicine, capers are now prized among food among food scientists for their anti-inflammatory properties.

It may even lower bad cholesterol. Capers may help prevent constipation. Capers contain fiber, which is key in preventing constipation. People usually do not eat capers by the handful, but it is always important to look at your diet holistically and assess how much fiber you are getting.

Capers might lower blood sugar in people with diabetes. Watch for signs of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) and monitor your blood sugar carefully if you have diabetes and use capers in medicinal amounts.