--- title: "Capers: what it means in cooking — Tiny Plates" description: "Capers are the pickled flower buds of a Mediterranean shrub. They add a salty, sour bite to pasta, fish, sauces and salads. How to use and swap them." url: "https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/capers" --- # Capers Capers are the pickled flower buds of a Mediterranean shrub. They add a salty, sour bite to pasta, fish, sauces and salads. How to use and swap them. Also called Caper, Caper berries, Kapris. Capers are the unopened flower buds of the caper bush, which grows wild around the Mediterranean. The buds are bitter when picked, so they are cured in salt or [pickled](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/pickle) in brine or vinegar. They taste salty, sour and slightly floral, and a few go a long way. ## How to use it * **Rinse first.** Brined capers can go straight in, but a quick rinse tones down the vinegar. Salt-packed capers need a rinse and a 10-minute soak in cold water, or the dish ends up too salty. * **Chop them** into [salsa verde](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/salsa-verde), tartar sauce, [remoulade](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/remoulade) and [tartare](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/tartare). * **Add them whole** to pasta puttanesca, chicken or veal piccata, potato salad and fish dishes. Stir them in near the end so they keep their shape and bite. * **Fry them.** Pat dry and [shallow-fry](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/shallow-fry) in a little oil over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes until they open like small flowers and turn crisp. Use them as a crunchy, salty topping. Size matters. The smallest capers, called _nonpareil_, are firm and delicate. Larger ones are softer and stronger. Caper berries are the fruit that grows after the flower, about the size of an olive, with a long stem. They are served whole with drinks or cured meats, not chopped into sauces. ## Substitutes * Chopped green olives, the closest in salt and texture. * Chopped cornichons or other small sour pickles. * A little lemon zest and a pinch of salt, when you only need brightness. ## How to store it Unopened jars keep for a long time in the cupboard. Once opened, keep them in the fridge and make sure the capers stay under the brine. They will last for months this way. Salt-packed capers keep in the cupboard as long as they stay dry. ## Common mistakes * Adding capers and then salting the dish as usual. Taste after the capers go in and season after that. * Cooking them for a long time. They lose their shape and bright taste. Add them in the last few minutes. ## Recipes that use it 41 recipes from the sites we collect. * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Summer-Pasta-Salad-with-Baby-Greens.jpg)Summer Pasta Salad with Baby Greenswww.skinnytaste.com · 20 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/summer-pasta-salad-with-baby-greens/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Flounder-Piccata-5.jpg)Flounder Piccata Recipewww.skinnytaste.com · 20 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/flounder-piccata/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/pan-bagnet-11.jpg)Pan Bagnatwww.skinnytaste.com · 25 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/pan-bagnat/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Salmon-Beet-and-Arugula-Salad-7.jpg)Salmon, Beet, and Arugula Salad with Pistachios and Pomegranateswww.skinnytaste.com · 30 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/salmon-salad-with-beets-arugula-pistachios-and-pomegranates/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Green-Goddess-Potato-Salad-7-1.jpg)Green Goddess Potato Saladwww.skinnytaste.com · 95 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/green-goddess-potato-salad/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Chicken-Marbella-5.jpg)Chicken Marbella Recipewww.skinnytaste.com · 58 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/chicken-marbella/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Healthy-Baked-Fish-Sticks-7.jpg)Baked Fish Sticks Recipewww.skinnytaste.com · 30 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/healthy-baked-fish-sticks-with-lemon/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Chicken-Piccata-8.jpg)Chicken Piccata Recipewww.skinnytaste.com · 20 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/chicken-piccata/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Slow-Roasted-Salmon-with-Creamy-Mustard-Sauce-10.jpg)Slow Roasted Salmon Recipewww.skinnytaste.com · 55 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/slow-roasted-salmon/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Italian-Tuna-and-Brown-Rice-Salad.jpg)Italian Tuna and Brown Rice Salad (Riso e Tonno)www.skinnytaste.com · 15 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/italian-tuna-and-brown-rice-salad-riso/) * [![](https://www.onceuponachef.com/images/2018/03/Moroccan-Style-Brisket.jpg)Moroccan-Style Brisket with Dried Fruit & Caperswww.onceuponachef.com · 240 min](https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/moroccan-style-brisket-with-dried-fruit-capers.html) * [![](https://www.onceuponachef.com/images/2026/04/Chicken-Piccata-Meatballs-5.jpg)Chicken Piccata Meatballswww.onceuponachef.com · 35 min](https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/chicken-piccata-meatballs.html) ## Related terms * [AnchovyAnchovies are small salt-cured fish that melt into sauces and add deep savory flavor without tasting fishy. How to use, swap and store them.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/anchovy) * [Salsa verdeSalsa verde means green sauce. The Italian kind is herbs, capers, anchovy and oil; the Mexican kind is tomatillos and chili. Here is how to make both.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/salsa-verde) * [RemouladeRemoulade is a mayonnaise-based sauce with pickles, capers, mustard and herbs. It goes with fried fish, crab cakes and celery root salad.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/remoulade) * [TartareTartare is raw beef or fish chopped fine by hand and mixed with seasonings such as capers, shallot and egg yolk. See how to make it and keep it safe.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/tartare) * [PickleTo pickle is to preserve food in an acidic liquid, either vinegar or a salty brine that ferments. Quick fridge pickles are ready in an hour or less.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/pickle) * [Shallow-fryShallow-frying cooks food in about 1 cm of hot oil in a pan, so it comes halfway up the sides. You turn it once for a crisp crust on both sides.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/shallow-fry) [More in pantry ingredients](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/category/pantry-ingredients)[Every term from A to Z](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary)