Average nutritional values ​​per 100g

Energy Kcal 23 / KJ 96

Fat 0.9 g

of which saturated 0.2 g

Carbohydrates 4.9 g

of which sugars 0.4 g

Protein 2.4 g

Salt 9.6 g

The caper (Capparis spinosa L.) is a shrub typical of the Mediterranean flora which has the characteristic of growing on old walls, in cracks in rocks and in stony ground, especially in sea areas: it has a basal and woody part consisting of the trunk, and the upper parts consist of branches of herbaceous consistency.

It has a height ranging from 30 to 50 cm and dark green, fleshy and oval-shaped leaves with very showy flowers whose soft white and pink colors have delicate purple reflections.

The fruit is composed of a berry that houses inside many black seeds.Between the end of May and the beginning of September, the caper begins flowering and it is then that the floral buttons (buds) are harvested, not yet hatched and become flowers, which must be collected as soon as possible, as soon as they sprout: they are small, hard and green, and have a very strong flavor.

The farmers return to the same plants every 8-10 days, according to the climatic trend, and of course they collect the capers present on the plants, with a very tiring job, both for the bent position and for the scorching heat of the summer.

Pantelleria capers are preserved in salt, to be used in a thousand ways in the preparation of first and second courses, sauces and condiments.

To use the capers in the various preparations in the kitchen, no special precautions are necessary: ​​they are taken in the quantity to be used and washed with running water, removing the preserved salt, or, if you want a little less salty, they are left in a bowl with water for as long as you think is sufficient for your taste, after which they are ready for use.

To preserve the capers, if they have been purchased in a bag, just pour them with the preserved salt into a glass jar and close them with the screw cap, so that they do not lose moisture and dry out.

Preserved in this way, Pantelleria capers can last for years, always maintaining their excellent organoleptic characteristics.

Always be wary of capers in vinegar or in acetate brine as the ideal and best preservative for the caper is salt as it does not alter the qualities of the caper. If a more aggressive preservative such as vinegar is chosen, there must be a reason, right?

Curiosity

Curious is a method used by Pantelleria (inhabitants of Pantelleria) to encourage the cultivation of capers, which consists in "shooting" the caper seeds with a blowpipe between the cracks of a wall or between the tiles of a well exposed roof.