Salted Capers from Salina

Capers, thanks to their distinctive spicy flavour, have been used since ancient times as a condiment for sauces, dressings and various foods.

In Sicily, and especially in the Aeolian Islands, a particularly prized variety of capers grows spontaneously.

Area: Food and agricultural products
Producer: Azienda Agricola Sapori Eoliani
Type: Traditional products
Place of production: Pollara/Malfa – Island of Salina
Province of production: Messina

Organoleptic characteristics:
Shape: rounded
Flavour: strong
Texture: soft
Colour: dark green

Consumption characteristics:
This Salina caper comes from a perennial shrub with numerous flexible, smooth stems and alternate, whole, very rounded oval leaves of a dark green colour. Sometimes, at the base of the petiole, there are two small thorns. The flowers are large and striking: they are often called “the orchids of the Aeolian Islands”.

The calyx is formed by four leathery sepals, while the corolla consists of four large white petals with violet shades. The stamens are very numerous and long. The ovary, located among the stamens, is supported by a long gynophore, which later becomes the stalk of the fruit: the caper berry, known locally as “cucuncio”, a product that is becoming increasingly known and appreciated by gourmets all over the world.

Important to know:
Before use, capers must always be desalted, by placing them in water at room temperature. The amount of water should be approximately double the quantity of the product to be desalted.

The water should be changed frequently, at least 3 or 4 times, and the product should be tasted before use.

As for the size to choose, it depends on how the capers will be used:

For garnishing a dish, it is preferable to use small capers, which are more elegant in appearance and have a very delicate flavour.

For preparing sauces, fillings, baked fish and similar recipes, a medium size is preferable.

For salads, or when the capers need to be chopped, a larger size is preferable.