Harvesting Capers: When to Pick and How to Cure Them

The caper bush, Capparis spinosa, offers an opportunity for home gardeners to cultivate a gourmet ingredient. Growing this Mediterranean native allows for the production of capers from your own garden. The process involves harvesting a specific part of the plant at the correct time and preparing it for consumption through a curing process. This transforms a simple garden activity into a culinary project.

Identifying What to Harvest

The caper is the small, unopened flower bud of the plant. These buds must be harvested before they blossom into the plant’s delicate white and pink flowers. Harvesting at this early stage is what defines a caper and captures the flavor that develops during curing.

A common point of confusion is the difference between a caper and a caperberry. If a flower bud is left on the plant, it will bloom. Once that flower is pollinated, it develops into a small, olive-like fruit known as a caperberry. This fruit, which contains many seeds, is also edible but has a different texture. For true capers, the focus remains on the immature flower buds.

When to Harvest Capers

The timing of the harvest is a significant factor in the quality of the final product. Caper production begins in late spring, around May, and continues through the summer months, sometimes into September. During this period, the plant produces buds continuously, requiring regular attention. The ideal time to pick the buds is when they are small, firm, and tightly closed, about the size of a small green pea.

Visual cues help determine the right moment for picking. A ready-to-harvest bud will be a deep olive green and compact. As the bud matures, it will enlarge and may lighten in color, indicating it is past the optimal stage for harvesting. To ensure a steady supply, it is best to harvest every few days. Performing this task in the early morning is ideal, as the cool air helps keep the buds firm.

How to Harvest Capers

The process of picking capers is best done by hand to avoid damaging the plant. The goal is to detach the bud without harming the new growth on which future buds will form. To do this, gently grasp the small stem of the caper bud between your thumb and forefinger. A slight twist and pull should be enough to snap it cleanly from the branch.

Be mindful that some varieties of caper bushes have small thorns at the base of the leaves. Regular harvesting not only yields a consistent supply of capers but also stimulates the plant to produce new buds rather than flowering and setting fruit.

Curing Capers After Harvest

Freshly picked caper buds are not suitable for eating. They possess a strong bitterness due to glucocapparin, a compound which must be neutralized through curing. This preservation step releases the characteristic tangy and pungent flavor that capers are known for. The process begins with rinsing the fresh buds and then allowing them to wilt in a shady spot for a day to reduce their water content.

One common method for curing is brining. For this technique, the wilted capers are submerged in a solution of salt and water, and sometimes vinegar. The capers are placed in a sterilized jar, covered with the brine, then sealed and left to ferment for several weeks in a cool, dark place. The brine transforms the flavor and texture of the buds.

Another traditional approach is salt-curing. This involves layering the wilted caper buds with coarse sea salt in a non-reactive container. The salt draws moisture out of the buds. Over a period of several weeks, the capers should be occasionally stirred. Once cured, salt-packed capers need to be rinsed thoroughly, and sometimes soaked, before use. Properly cured capers can be stored for an extended period.