Capers pickle this! Once upon a time, an intrepid journalist asked a supermarket produce expert where he might find capers. When met with a quizzical look in response, he replied ‘Umm, they’re little round green things.’ He was shown where he could find tinned peas. The moral of this story is that, sometimes, even the smallest of tasks can become quite the... caper. And yet, ask any fan of cucinando Italiano how they’d say capers taste and the answer is simple: ‘magnifico!’; or, perhaps ‘magnifica’ - the aforementioned journalist knows more about capers than the Italian language!
WHAT ARE CAPERS ANYWAY? The caper bush (Capparis spinosa) grows up to a metre in height with pale, light purple flowers and (of course) succulent, salty pearls of flavour. Capers spring from Mediterranean soil but they can be grown in New Zealand too.
Before sowing caper seeds, soak in hot water for approximately 24 hours and leave them in the fridge for a couple of weeks. A further soaking in warm water before resting them for a further 12 hours is advisable too. Sow seeds in a small pot or container using standard seed raising mix. Keep the seedlings inside or in a greenhouse until spring until the last frost has passed.
GROWING GUIDE
As they naturally grow in semi-arid conditions, caper bushes need little water. However, one of the major benefits of growing them in containers is that they can be brought inside during heavy rain. Caper bushes can survive low temperatures but will be easily damaged by frost.
As the caper bushes are weeds, they are incredibly resilient and can grow in rocky soil - providing it drains freely - and plants receive plenty of sun. They are especially well accustomed to coastal areas.
While extensive pruning is not necessary, as capers grow on firstyear branches, every autumn they can use a little haircut to ensure a plentiful harvest the following season.
32 | south | august 2021
HARVEST & PICKLING From late spring into early autumn, the caper bush will produce green buds – these are the capers themselves. If you don’t pick these buds they will develop into attractive white flowers; but the flowers don’t taste quite so nice on pizza! Once picked, get pickled! Capers aren’t exactly tasty when taken straight from the garden but, with a little effort, their true colours do shine through. To pickle, cover capers with salt and leave them in a dry spot for 2-3 days, shaking from time to time. Next, pour them into a colander and, using cold water, rinse thoroughly to remove excess salt. Soak in warm water for 15-20 minutes; drain, rinse and repeat. Transfer capers into jars with white wine vinegar (capers should be tightly packed but not crammed into the jars) and allow them 1-2 months to pickle.
www.southmagazine.co.nz
