The Maltese Caper

Possibly the biggest, honkin' capers I've ever seen.

A bag of capers preserved in salt arrived in the mail this week. Laura and David sent me some when they were in Malta.  Laura says she ate more capers in 2 weeks in Malta than she ever had before.
Capers are delicious with so many things: pasta, chicken, potatoes, salad, deviled eggs, tapenade, tomatoes, smoked salmon, and of course as an ingredient in tartar sauce.

Capers are harvested in May on the island of Gozo in Malta. They are the flower buds of the caper bush. They were mentioned in the Sumerian cuneiform epic of Gilgamesh written in 3000 B.C. - one of the oldest surviving works of literature. (It starts off as  possibly the first "buddy film" but morphs into a Lord-of-the-Rings-esque quest.)

The prickly Capparis spinosa plant

My capers came preserved in a bag of Gozo sea salt. I've only ever tried capers preserved in a vinegar so it will be fun to try these. My mouth is watering just thinking about tonight's supper.

Poor man's capers (ripe nasturtium seeds) can used as a substitute; apparently they have a very similar texture and flavour when pickled. 

The recipe for poor man's capers calls for a quart of these seeds. And yes, I am considering it.

 I buy my capers at small neighbourhood ethnic stores or Bosa's (when they don't arrive in the mail). They tend to be much cheaper at these places.

Sprinkle some capers on something tonight!