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 keep the aroma of the Pantelleria capers pure and preserve it for years. Capers preserved in salt should be rinsed under running water before being used in cooking so that they do not make the dish too salty.

They are very versatile in the kitchen: as a garnish for meat or fish, as a seasoning in sauces, in tomato sugo or vegetable stews, with tuna or beef tartare, for Vitello Tonnato or Königsberg meatballs, in salad dressings, or in Salade Niçoise.

Capers – how they grow

Capers (Capparis spinosa L.) are a typical, small-growing shrub of the Mediterranean flora. It likes to grow on old walls, in rock crevices, and on stony soil, preferably in places with a sea view.

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 the harvest season begins, because when they are 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 heads. It is arduous work, especially in the great heat of summer.

If you let the caper fruit grow at the end of the summer, caper berries are formed—a berry containing many black seeds that is significantly milder in flavor than the small capers. In return, they are wonderful as antipasti, just like olives.