Fruit of the Caper Plant
The many uses of caperberries.
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Credit: Michael Kraus
If caper buds are left on the bush, they will eventually explode into fragrant three- to four-inch white flowers that look like miniature roses with long violet stamens. When the flowers fall off, oval-shaped, seed-filled fruits called caper berries grow at the end of newly formed stalks. Spanish producers have found a niche for these inch-long fruits—pickling them in brine, like the bud that precedes them, before packaging and selling them. In Spain, caper berries are eaten as tapas—but they're also a delicious accompaniment to pâtés, cold meats, and salads. They've even caught on recently in this country as a trendy—and tasty—alternative to olives in vodka and gin martinis.
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