Delicious, high quality Sicilian capers preserved in sea salt from Trapani. Capers from Sicily are amongst the finest in the world and are bursting with fragrance and flavour. Capers are also one of the healthiest ingredients around and extensively used in the Mediterranean Diet. They are now really catching on amongst discerning chefs and households in the UK.

Sicilian capers never go unnoticed. They bring their own unique punchy, tangy and piquant character to a dish and can be used as a seasoning or fried to give a crispy texture and more subtle flavour. Best of all they work so well in countless dishes (see some of our suggestions below).

Salt is an essential ingredient for capers, allowing them to ripen and maintain all their natural quality. Note: we are often asked which are better, capers in salt or in vinegar. Well, it does depend on the dish,  but in general we much prefer capers in salt as capers in vinegar tend to retain the acidic taste and while this can be useful for some dishes, most fare better with capers in salt.

Before using, rinse the capers with water to remove the salt (see our tip below) then dry and bathe them in a good extra virgin olive oil. They like being pampered and you can indulge them further by soaking in red wine and then covering in EV olive oil.

WHAT ARE CAPERS?

Capers are the flowering buds of the Capparis Spinosa, a thorny shrub native to the Mediterranean. From May to September, the buds are picked by hand early in the morning before the flowers open. They come in different sizes and the smaller they are, the more expensive they are. This is simply due to the extra effort it takes to pick them and not for taste. Smaller capers tend to be more understated.