An interesting taste and no less interesting story among capers. Someone considers them to be a type of olives, someone - cucumbers, in fact, capers are buds of an incredibly prickly shrub called Capersnik. Its homeland is Central Asia and the Mediterranean. Some species grow in the Crimean rocks and in the Caucasus. This is a very hardy plant, it can easily withstand heat and salt water, is also able to grow almost on bare stones.
Today it’s not such a wonder as before, and if you wish, you can easily try making capers. Recipes with them can be found in large numbers. In the store you can buy not only fresh buds, but also pickled capers. If you eat a handful of capers before meals, you will have a great appetite. These fruits are rich in fiber, vitamins and organic acids. Capers, the taste of which resembles a pickle, are often used in salads. Without heat treatment, they retain in themselves all the necessary useful substances.
The main area of application of these amazing buds is considered to be cooking. Pickled and salted capers have a tart, spicy, sour, slightly mustard taste, while they give the food a spicy flavor. Also add piquancy to caper meat and fish dishes, recipes for which are constantly being improved.
If you bought capers in the store whose taste you don’t like because of the marinade, try another one, it’s very simple. It is necessary to warm olive oil in a water bath, adding herbs: thyme, rosemary, oregano, oregano. Pour the marinade in which the capers were in the jar and rinse them thoroughly several times. Dry well and put in warm oil. Wait for the caper oil to cool and refrigerate for 2–3 days. That is exactly what the right capers should taste like. Recipes with them are used in many restaurants, but this does not prevent you from using them in household items. The buds of this plant are rarely used whole, usually capers are ground with herbs or salt. This is done so that their salty and strong enough taste is evenly distributed throughout the dish.
To preserve all the taste and specific aroma, add capers (recipe refers to any) at the end of cooking. In this case, you don’t even have to use salt.
How to store capers? If they are pickled, do not drain the marinade. Capers should be stored in it and removed as necessary. In the refrigerator, they can stand for up to 9 months. If your capers are salted or dry, they can be stored in the kitchen without putting them in the refrigerator for up to 6 months. Caper can be combined with so many products, but the most winning combinations will be:
- With mayonnaise
- With olive or butter
- With seafood
- With smoked fish
- With chicken and lamb
- With tomatoes and bell pepper
- With eggs
If you do not know how to make capers, recipes will help you:
1. Vietnamese caper salad
Required:
- rice - 100 grams
- pistachios - 100 grams
- orange - 1 piece
- capers - 50 grams
- olive oil, basil, mint
Rice must be boiled, it must be crumbly. Wash the orange well and remove the zest with a fine grater. Squeeze the juice separately. Pistachios need to be crushed to an almost powder state. Greens need to be torn by hands. Gently chop the capers. Now mix all the ingredients and season with the sauce, which is made from olive oil and orange juice. The taste of the salad is very unusual!
2. Canapes with capers
Required:
- red salted fish - 250 grams
- sweet pepper - 1 piece
- capers - 1 can
- skewers for cooking canapes
The fish must be cut into thin slices, and pepper in small cubes. Now wrap the pepper in a slice of fish, place the caper’s bud on top and fasten everything with a skewer. Beautiful and very tasty!