Capers - Recipes ingridient

Exotic plants alarming taste and appearance, so many of them do not find fans. To separate exotics, there is hostility, despite the usefulness for the body. Capers fell into this category. It is possible to find them in shops and supermarkets, but not everything will be decided on taste.

Origin and Characteristic

Capers are not vegetables or fruits, but edible shrub buds with huge thorns. They are marinated or pickled. The plant belongs to the family Kapersovyh, but some attribute them to the genus Cabbage. Spiny shrub visible due to white and pink flowers of large size. It creeps along the ground, therefore it creates the illusion of a carpet. It is grown as an ornamental plant and valued in landscape design.

The homeland of these bushes is considered to be the Mediterranean with a subtropical climate. Species of the species grow in the Crimea, Asia and the Caucasus. Among the 300 species, capers are preferred to grow spiky. Scientists have developed varietal crops that differ from wild individuals in improved nutritional qualities. Production of capers for seasoning is done in Spain, Italy, France, and North Africa. The buds brought by the islands of Tire in the Aegean Sea are considered delicious. The land where they grow is fertilized with volcanic ash.

The harvest of the buds to this day remains entirely manual. They are separated by size using a sieve. Gourmets appreciate specimens up to 1 cm in diameter, as they are characterized by a delicate and delicate flavor.

The berries look like pods or ovals with a reddish and softcore. By the level of sweetness, it looks like a watermelon and is used to make jam. Fruits are not pickled, because they give a specific taste and not everyone likes.

Growing caper plant

The bush prefers to grow in sunny areas and is not afraid of drought. It is planted in open ground, and the structure of the soil itself is not important. The plant grows quietly in the wild on stony plateaus, but for the yield, they choose sandy and sandy lands. When capers are cultivated as a plant in a hanging pot, they provide the optimum level of illumination.

Open ground for planting begins to cook in the fall. Fertilizers with phosphorus and nitrogen are added to it and dredged. Seeds before planting process. First, they are ground with river sand to get rid of the waterproof shell. After that, they are germinated in water. The plant is planted in the soil from March to the end of May. Between individual specimens leave a distance of 40-50 cm, and from one row to another – 70 cm.

Leaving means periodic top dressing and watering. In May and July, capers feed with nitrogen fertilizers. Irrigation is carried out moderately since excess moisture will destroy the bush. If necessary, it is able to absorb moisture from the air. Periodically it needs spraying fungicides.

Occasionally this plant is grown as an ornamental culture. In such cases, it is carried out in the summer on the street, and in the fall is taken to the premises. In winter, it is better to maintain the temperature up to +10 degrees, but the view endures a drop in temperature to -8. When the roots reach a length of 12-15 cm, the shrub is planted in the garden.

Crop begins to collect in June and end in early October. Charges are held weekly. The resulting buds are sifted and dried in the sun for up to 3 days, after which they are marinated.

Useful properties and contraindications

Capers contain proteins, carbohydrates, and fatty acids. They are considered a source of fiber and pectin. In large quantities in the composition of the plant are essential oils, enzymes, and saponins. The buds contain vitamins A, B, C, E and a bunch of trace elements. Fans of diets know what this low-calorie product is: 100 g contains about 23 kcal. It is characterized by such features:

1. Shrub roots are used in the treatment of the spleen and liver.
2. Capers helped with diseases of the joints.
3. After chewing the seeds, headache and toothache disappear.
4. Hypertension and goiter are treated with liquid from fruits and water.
5. In a concentrated form, the juice has regenerating qualities
6. A decoction of buds is used for heart disease, neurosis, and diabetes
7. The oral cavity from diseases is saved by the bark of the caper plant.
8. Bud consumption – prevention of oncological diseases.
9. The plant relieves rash and itching.

Cooking Uses

In pure form, the buds are not consumed but used as a food additive or seasoning. Immature inflorescences have a specific taste: salty-tart with a touch of spice, vaguely reminiscent of mustard and horseradish. But this extraordinary feature makes the dishes memorable, so it is constantly used in cooking.

Fish, meat or vegetables are served with sliced ​​or ground capers. Recipes with them include cakes and desserts for spice lovers. But in the dishes, unblown buds fall after cooking because heat treatment deprives them of useful substances. In Greece, the leaves of the shrub substitute rennet in the leaven of cheeses.

Shrub buds are included in the savory French remoulade sauce. It has a salty sour taste with spicy notes. The basis of refueling is homemade mayonnaise. The remaining components: pickled gherkins, garlic, anchovies, capers, greens, whole-grain mustard, vinegar, salt, and pepper.

Spaniards use a special dressing for fish – pasta with chopped capers, almonds, garlic, and parsley. A good combination is obtained with olives, pepper, oregano, tarragon, and basil. From the addition of capers, the taste of pasta and salads with herring is improved. An exotic seasoning used in an authentic Olivier salad recipe. It is considered the decoration of a meat or cheese plate. Gourmets add the product to seafood, salted and smoked fish.

Exotic seasoning replacement

When pickled buds are not on sale, the classic replacement will be olives or gherkins in the marinade. Extravagant analogs seasoning is considered nasturtium or dandelions. To prepare savory spices, take 100 g of nasturtium seeds and pour marinade. The basic ingredient is wine vinegar, and peppercorns and salt are added to it. They are boiled in water for about 10 minutes, and the seeds are washed and put into a jar. They are poured with a mixture and left to be stored for 3 months.

In dandelions, unblown buds are torn off and doused with boiling water first, and then with cold water. Blanks poured into the jar to the top. In a liter of liquid diluted with salt, pepper, sugar and add dry cloves. The mixture is boiled for 2−3 minutes and after cooling pour vinegar. Buds cover the marinade and roll the lid.