CAPPARIS SPINOSA
Family: capparaceae
Family: capparaceae
Synonyms: common caper, bush caper
Forms of use: blossom buds, fresh, in a brine, oil or vinaigrette
Origin: the caper bush is common throng horn the entire Mediterranean region. The ancient Egyptians were familiar with it. The best caper are grown in Marseille, Nice and on the Lipari Islands, north of Sicily.
Aroma: the smell of capers is slightly spicy and slightly sour. Combined with brine, the taste becomes slightly acrid and piquant.
Use: Capers are used in sauces and remoulades as well as in tartar sauce and salads. One puts this spice into veal dishes, such as the popular Vitello tonnato, in Italian cuisine.
Buying/storing: capers are available in every well-supplied supermarket. They can be stored in airtight jars in brine for at least 1 year. Their quality and price correspond to their size, smaller capers are finer and pricier.
Properties: the thorny caper bush grows about 3 feet high. Its leaves are round, smooth and slightly pointed. Its blossoms are white-pink and have markedly long purple anthers. Caper bushes often grow wild and tend not to be too picky about soil quality and water. Today, caper bushes are grown on large plantations, mainly in Turkey, Morocco, Spain and on Majorca. Unripe, still closed buds are harvested. Let the buds wither slightly and put them in oil, salty water, vinegar or into a mixture made of vinegar and salt.
Related species: during hard times, the buds of marsh marigold (caltha palustris) or Indian cress (tropaeolum majus) were used as substitutes for capers. Despite the fact that they are not botanically related, they contain similar substances which imitate the taste of genuine capers.
Medicinal use: the ancient Greeks knew the positive effects of capers on improving appetite, promoting digestion and strengthening the stomach. Capers can alleviate coughing or be used externally for eye infections. Spleen diseases are healed with capers as well.
CORNICHON DE CAPRES
Caper fruits, caper berries or caper apples are canned in the same manner and are rarely available. Their taste is very intense. They can be distinguished from capers because the fruit is attached to the herbaceous stem. Ideal with antipasti.
Capers are divided into quality classes:
Gruesas (more than 13 mm), Fines (11-13mm), Capottes (9-11 mm), capucines (8-9 mm), Surfines (7-8mm), and Nonpareilles (the smallest capers are the most precious and their diameter is less than 7mm).
Tips for cooking:
To preserve an open jar of capers, add a little olive oil before closing the jar. The oil will prevent the capers from becoming moldy and extend their durability. Add capers to a dish only at the very end of cooking because they lose their flavor if cooked longer.
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