Pickled capers (what are capers and how to preserve them)

Prepare your own pickled capers in caper vinaigrette ready to add to salads, pasta dishes or serve with a cheeseboard. This homemade condiment will add Mediterranean flavours to your dishes and is simple to prepare.

They are pickled in caper brine made from wine vinegar, salt and water but you can add garlic, peppercorns or other herbs or spices to create your own version.

If you live in an area where capers grow it is worth harvesting some to pickle yourself. By preparing your own preserves you can be sure that they don't contain any unnecessary ingredients. And as they can be prepared with very little hands on time there is no reason not to have a go pickling your own.

When capers are picked they have an astringent flavour and need to be soaked to make them palatable. They need to be washed and then soaked in water for 3 days to reduce bitterness. They are then pickled in caper brine and will be ready to eat in a few days.

Use your home tickled capers to add extra flavour to tomato and olive bruschetta or Mediterranean quiche.

If you are looking to stock your cupboards with homemade preserves you may also like to try red onion chutney, homemade orange marmalade, red tomato chutney or tomato and chilli chutney.

This recipe for pickled capers is based on using 125g capers but the quantities can easily be scaled up to prepare a larger quantity if needed.

What are capers?

Capers are the immature flower buds of the caper bush (Capparis spinosa). They grow in hot, dry regions including around the Mediterranean.

What does a caper plant look like? The plant is easily recognisable by its flowers. The bushes have both flowers and caper buds at the same time so if you see the flowers there are likely to be capers (unless of course they are the last few flowers of the season).

Capers should not be confused with caper berries. Caper berries are elongated fruits produced by the same plant after the flowers have flowered. Pickled caper berries are also edible.

Ingredients for pickled capers

• 125g fresh capers
• 125ml white wine vinegar
• 125ml water
• 1 teaspoon salt

How to pickle capers

Start by washing the capers and remove any remaining parts of the stem.

Place in a cup and cover with water. Leave to soak for 3 days, changing the water each day.

After 3 days, drain the capers and discard the water.

Prepare the brine by mixing white wine vinegar, water and salt.

Transfer the capers into a sterilised glass jar with a lid.

Pour sufficient brine into the jar to cover the capers.

Store in the fridge for a minimum of 3 days before eating. If your capers still have a bitter flavour leave a few more days to allow the flavours to mature.

How to store

Store in a sterilised jar with an airtight lid in the fridge for up to a month.

Variations

• Add garlic cloves or slices of dried red chilli to the brine for extra flavour.
• Add peppercorns or mustard seeds to the caper vinaigrette.
• Swap white wine vinegar for cider vinegar.

FAQs

Other recipes for preserves