I loved Capers from the first time I tasted them, and today I’m telling you a bit more about capers and sharing favorite recipes using them! And if you haven’t cooked with capers, I hope you get inspired to try them soon!
PIN this post about Why I Love Capers to find it later!
Capers are a fun ingredient that I loved since the first time I had them in a restaurant! And I can’t remember for sure, but I am guessing that Chicken Piccata might be the first dish I ever tried with capers as an ingredient. And it’s still something I love to order and always enjoy.
This post is going to tell you more about what capers are, where they come from, and what they taste like. And I’ll also share links to my favorite recipes using capers. If you haven’t eaten capers or tried cooking with capers yet, I hope you try them soon!
What are Capers?
Capers grow wild in the Mediterranean and some parts of Asia, and they’re the unripened buds of the caper bush. They’re picked by hand, which is one reason they’re somewhat pricey, but most recipes using capers only call for a tablespoon or two, so a jar of capers lasts a long time! There are seven different types of capers, but the ones you see most often in the grocery store are always nonpareil capers, which are small in size and often come from France. And grocery store capers are usually pickled in brine, but some varieties of capers are cured in salt or packed in oil. And specialty markets may sell dried capers.
What do Capers Taste Like?
Capers have a briny, salty flavor, with lemony or bitter undertones for some people. The taste of capers is similar to green olives but slightly more tangy, and they’re also somewhat similar in flavor to dill pickles, but less vinegary. Capers are firm and just slightly crunchy
How are Capers used?
Capers are an ingredient used in small amounts to add a bright, savory flavor accent to recipes. They’re used often in Mediterranean recipes, especially with chicken, seafood, pasta sauce, or stew. In cooked foods they’re usually added towards the end of the cooking time or cooked at low heat, and they’re also sometimes fried and then added to a recipe. Capers can also be eaten just as they come out of the jar, and they’re sometimes chopped and added to tapenades or dips, or used as an ingredients in salads or salad dressings.
Where can you buy capers?
Most every supermarket will have capers, or if you’re a fan like I am you can buy a larger jar at Costco! If you don’t find them where you shop, you can find many brands of Capers (affiliate link) at Amazon, including some very small jars if you’re not sure how much you’ll use them.
Recipes with Capers:
You can enter Capers into the search bar on my blog to see every recipe where I’ve used capers or mentioned them. But these recipe are some of my absolute favorites!
- Slow Roasted Salmon with Butter, Garlic, Capers, and Lemon
- Chicken Piccata with Fried Capers
- Roasted Cauliflower Salad (with Feta, Capers, and Red Pepper)
- Grilled Chicken with Lemon and Capers
- Chicken with Olives and Capers
- Grilled Fish with Lemon and Capers
- Roasted Peppers Salad with Olives and Capers
- Cauliflower Steaks with Red Pepper, Capers, and Olives
- Chicken with Lemon, Green Olives, and Capers
- Salmon Recipe with Tomato Olive Relish
- Nicoise Tuna Salad Recipe
- Ottolenghi’s Perfect Lettuce Salad
About Products featured as Kalyn’s Kitchen Picks:
I purchased the capers shown in these photos myself and this company has no idea whatsoever that I’m writing about their product. All items featured as Kalyn’s Kitchen Picks are things I happily buy over and over, and so readers will know that my opinions are completely unbiased, I don’t accept review products from the many companies who offer to send them to me. You can see the complete list of products I’ve chosen to feature at Kalyn’s Kitchen Picks.
