Small capers in sea salt

La Nicchia – Small Capers in Sea Salt – Capperi in Sale marino

The La Nicchia small capers in sea salt are particularly aromatic capers from the Italian island of Pantelleria.

The small capers are preserved in sea salt, as this is the best way to maintain their unique aroma without altering it and to preserve them for years. Salt-cured capers should be rinsed under running water before being used in cooking, so they don't over-salt the dish.

In the kitchen, they are very versatile: as a garnish for meat or fish, as a seasoning in sauces, in tomato sugo or vegetable stews, with tuna or beef tartare, with vitello tonnato or Königsberger Klopse, in salad dressings, or in Salade Niçoise.

Capers – how they grow

Capers (Capparis spinosa L.) are a typical, low-growing shrub of the Mediterranean flora. They like to grow on old walls, in rock crevices, and stony soils, preferably in places with sea views.

The caper bush has dark green, fleshy leaves and very striking white-violet flowers that bloom between the end of May and the beginning of September. Now begins the harvest season, because when small, they are firm and green and have a particularly aromatic taste. Every 8 to 19 days, the pickers return to the caper bushes and collect the next flower buds. This is arduous work, especially hard in the great heat of summer.

If the caper fruit is allowed to grow at the end of summer, caper berries (caper apples) are formed, a berry containing many black seeds and which is significantly milder in aroma than the small capers. They are wonderful as an antipasto, similar to olives.