How are Capers Grown
Capers are perennial plants (that can last for more than 2 years) that mainly grow in the Middle East, North Africa, and the Mediterranean regions of Southern Europe. The best growing environment for this plant is a semiarid condition. It also flourishes in a combination of rainy spring and dry hot summer conditions.
Capers have the ability to withstand extreme hot conditions like that prevalent in Libya, Egypt, and Pakistan (in sand dunes, cracks, and bare rocks).
Other than that, they can also survive extremely harsh, cold conditions like that prevalent in the Alps foothills and Ladakh, India, as well as strong windy conditions prevalent in Argentina and Italy. Only frosty conditions prevent capers from growing.
The caper bush can grow to about 1 meter high. The lower branches can create their own mulch (a protective layer like straw or leaves) on the ground. The leaves formed are rounded and fleshy. The flowers are formed with attractive white petals and several long, purple stamens. These flowers grow between the leaves. Each flower mostly lasts for just around a day, but there is constant growth along the stem.
For capers to be grown for commercial purposes, they have to be planted over good rich soil on a heap of well-drained material. Before planting, it would be of great benefit to add lime and compost to the soil. Initially, the plant would have to be constantly watered. Once established, not much of watering is required. In autumn and spring, an extra mixture of organic mineral to the soil helps the plant flourish even further.
Capers have been known to be used as a condiment for ages. For this use, the un-opened flower bud should be picked. In other words, the buds should be still tight. During the hot season, the caper bush can be harvested once in around 10 days. For the capers to be pickled, the bud should be allowed to flower, where it produces a fruit that is oblong shaped and has many seeds. The leaves and young shoots found at the end of the stem can be used both pickled and fresh.
For the pickled capers to be properly preserved, coarse salt has to be added to them and occasionally stirred for around 10 to 12 days once the liquid that gets formed at the bottom is totally drained off.
It should be made sure that the pickled capers weigh just around 40% of the capers. After that, salt has to be again added (half the earlier amount) for approximately another 10 days. Once this is done, the salt has to be washed off by soaking the capers in a bowl of water. The caper berry has always been traditionally pickled by soaking it in salt water for around 24 hours. The salt is then washed off and the berries are stored in white wine vinegar. The process of salting, if required, can be repeated.
Capers give an extra spicy and pleasant flavor to cooking. They are preferred in Hors d’oeuvres, as they are known to enhance appetite. It is used as toppings and garnish in cuisines all over the world.