Lore • Classification • Nutrition • Production
Lore
The word “alcaparra” (caper) originates in the Greek word “Capparis”. It was incorporated into the Spanish language through the Arabic term “Alcabara”. Capers originated on the Isle of Capri, a small island off the cost of Naples, hence the name caper. Capers in Turkey are called “Gebere, Kebere, Gebre, and Keber”.
Capers, then, were known to the ancients -- in fact, they are mentioned in the Bible and were a condiment used by both ancient Greeks and Romans. King Solomon referred to them in Ecclesiastes 12:5, “...the tamond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags himself along, and the caperberry is ineffective." The caperberry was believed to be an aphrodisiac, and has been promoted as an appetite stimulant, and diuretic. As early as the first century A.D., the Greek physician Dioscorides explained the medicinal properties and use of capers in his treatise “The Medicinal Use of Capers." Cleopatra had dishes spiked with capers served to Caesar. Capers were in fish sauces before the Tartars first rode west. The French writer, Alexander Dumas, used to claim that eating capers in the wintertime was an excellent way to lift the spirits of elderly people or those suffering from the winter blues. Its origins trace back over 7500 years to prehistoric seeds in what is now Iraq.
Classification
The caper belongs to the Capparaceae family, and its botanical name is Capparis Spinosa. The caper is the unopened bud of this blue-grey desert bush. The buds of capers, which resemble pea seed in looks. Its fruit is called “caperberry”.
Capparis Spinosa is a blue-gray spiny plant which grows wild, and tamed, in the dry, desert-like regions located around the Mediterranean Sea. The caper bush grows throughout Italy, Morocco, Spain, and Turkey. It is extremely resistant to drought, with a bush whose branches partly hang down and trail along the ground. Our capers come from the arid slopes of Andalucia and Catalonia in Spain, particularly in the Provinces of Almeria, the Balearic Islands, Cordoba, Jaen, Murcia, and Seville, from Salina, a tiny island formed from two volcanoes, part of an archipelago called the Aeolians off Sicily’s northern coast, and from Morocco/Turkey. In fact, Spain produces over 150 cultivated and wild varieties of caper plants, and is the world’s major producer with average annual production of up to 3500 metric tons. Spanish exports to the U.S. total $2.8M, which represent 42% of total U.S. caper imports. Caper stems have tiny thorns, are serpent-like when young, dry and brittle when old. Men, women, and children get down on their hands and knees to pick the unopened buds off this thorny plant. Since the tiny ones are harder to pick, they command the hardier pickers and higher prices. More than half of the caper output comes from the wild.
Nutrition
Capers are an excellent diuretic, stomachic, therapeutic appetizer in the true sense of the word. The beneficial effects are due to the presence of rutin, a substance frequently found in vegetable matter and often used in pharmacology for its high vitamin P content. Capers contain no cholesterol, and are low in fat. We end seller have a product that has gone from the chic allure of the 80’s, that gave way to the health appeal of the 90’s, to the excitement of the new millennium.
Capers contain minerals, oil-glucose, protein, and vitamins. The young flavor buds help avoid constipation and urinary problems, and diabetes. Capers support the cure of infertility, hormonal balance, kidneys, memory, strength, and veins. Caper paste, prepared by grinding the leaves of caper supports the cure of stomach illness. Caper extract livens and normalizes aged skin. The caper plants eaten by animals increase the milk productivity of cows and sheep, and the egg productivity of hens.
Production
Spotting a caper plant takes practice, but the locals are always happy to help out. “Capperi! Capperi!”, pointing out the window to low-lying green bushes glistening in the afternoon sunlight after a heavy rain. Caper bushes grow about a foot and a half tall and two or three feet in diameter. When in bloom, the flower is a delicate spray of white and lilac, but the prize for caper producers is the tightly-closed bud that must be plucked before it opens. Harvesting takes place between late spring and early summer.
The caper plant, like the olive tree, yields two kinds of fruit - the caper itself, and the caperberry. The small buds grow very quickly and are picked very young, even before they have bloomed in early spring. All of our capers are hand-selected. If the caper is not picked, it would soon become a flower. This flower produces a fruit called the caperberry. Caperberries are the mature fruit of the caper bush, picked much later (after the buds have flowered and berries have appeared). They are the same size and color as a small green olive, with a delicate fruity flavor. Caperberries are picked with the stem attached, and are used as a garnish or an appetizer. Caperberries are edible, piquant delicacies processed like the buds. They are favored in caponata, in antipasto, and as a garnish.
Once capers are picked, they are brought to a collection station, stored in a brine solution (to arrest growth) for 25-30 days, sorted by size, graded, cannery-dried, and salt is added as a preservative. Then they are purchased, and sent to our processing plant, where a second brine solution of water, salt, vinegar and wine is used for bottling.
At the processing plant, the capers are placed into large vats for the fermentation process (pickling) to occur. During the course of fermentation, capers give off cupric acid as a natural by-product. Cupric acid ceases to be emitted after several weeks. A caper’s flavor develops during the vinegar stage as a result of this organic acid.
After fermentation, the capers are ready to be trimmed -- and inspected. After inspection, our capers are thoroughly washed and graded. Gradation is completed by shaking the capers over a series of different size holes. The sheets in a machine are arranged with the largest holes at the top, the smallest at the bottom. As the machine vibrates, the smallest capers fall to the bottom. They are graded by the following standards:
Capers Caperberries
3-6 mm Nonpareil (extra fancy/gourmet) 0-13 mm
7 mm Nonpareil 13-15 mm
8 mm Surfine 15-18 mm
9 mm Cappucine
10-11 mm Capote
12 mm Fines
13 mm Gruesas (without size)
Nonpareils is a French word meaning “without equal”. Preference depends more on eye, than palate, as flavor is consistent in all sizes. Small ones are best for hors d’oeuvres and side dishes, while the larger ones are preferred to accompany first and main courses.
Capers grow faster than they can be picked, so only 15% of the total crop falls among the 5-8 millimeter range. 3% of the crop are 5-6 mm, and 5% are 7 mm. It is for this reason, that the smallest sized capers command a higher price, due to extra labor involved in picking, although size has nothing to do with taste. We import capotes and nonpareils. Because only a small percentage of the total crop is the most sought after, we pay a premium to cover the loss the producer takes in selling the larger sizes. In France/Italy, the preference is for larger capers, from Cappucine to Fines. In the United States, the smaller capers gain their greatest use in menued dishes. Large capers are mostly used in manufacturing where the capers are chopped, crushed, or pureed. Since capers are more expensive than other cooking ingredients, you should not be fooled by importers who substitute larger sizes for nonpareils.
The flavor is unique, (musty, perhaps, and piquant) and capers are prized for their culinary versatility. Raw capers have none of the goaty bite of the bottled variety. The characteristic zing comes from steeping buds that have sun-baked a day in barrels in brine, and “vinegarized”.
Whole or minced capers can be used in sauces, for marinades, and are genuine gems for garnishes. Nonpareils are usually used as garnishes. Capotes and fines are often mashed or minced for sauces. Capers are most valued for their distinctive flavor and culinary versatility. Their slightly sharp taste blends well with all kinds of savory foods, and adds piquancy to otherwise bland foods. Capers, then, can spark sauces, enliven salads, enhance fish, and sharpen sandwiches. Capers even contribute, southwestern style, to TexMex salsas. Sicilians like to puree them with sun-dried tomatoes, spread the mixture on bread, dip in olive oil, then brush it on the fish on the grill.
Capers do bring out flavor. You can use them with crab and veal. They not only add zest, but also have a lively flavor and a nice texture. It is hard to imagine steak tartare, Konigsberg meatballs, or Scottish smoked salmon without capers. We can suggest that you mold or pound capers, garlic, and olives into a paste, mix with our Napoleon olive oil, season -- and serve as a vegetable dip (tapanade)...or include in a cold marinated vegetable salad with eggplant, onions, tomatoes, vinegar, anchovies, and sugar (caponata). We add them to olive oil, as an ingredient in a fish sauce, with salt, pepper and lemon juice. To store capers, keep them refrigerated.
Capers have a hint of a pickle flavor. They are very mild. Capers can be pickled in wine or other vinegars. Sometimes, too, other herbs or spices can be added -- cloves, elderflowers, peppercorns, or tarragon, for example. Pickling should preserve the caper, but not kill its natural flavor. Whatever the medium, maintain the integrity -- and do not harm them, much the same as fluids protect vegetables in cans. However, if you find the solution too tart, the capers may be rinsed with water before using, or soaked in water for up to 15 minutes. Capers should not be cooked, as they are fragile. If cooked, they will change color. Add the capers after you cook the meal.
The Napoleon Co. has imported capers since 1903. Our hand-picked capers are also hand-packed. We import nonpareils (size of premature June peas), which are the most tender, and considered a gourmet condiment, as well as capotes.