Capers - mysterious ingredient reveals all its secrets

What is capers? This question is asked by more and more consumers, seeing on the shelves of the store small green berries. This product is of great interest, but many, because of ignorance about its use, do not dare to buy it. Today you can learn absolutely everything about this plant - from useful properties to dishes, in which it can be included.

In fact, capers are unopened buds of a plant called "capers".These kidneys are collected by hand, then washed, dried and, as a rule, marinated in a mixture of olive oil, alcohol and wine vinegar. Fans of this product argue that tastier buds are smaller, the size of which does not exceed 1 cm in diameter.

Where does caper grow? This prickly bush is most common along the Mediterranean coast, in Asia, North America, North Africa and India. It can also be found in the Crimea and the Caucasus, where it grows on infertile soils and shale rocks. The main suppliers of this product are Iran, Morocco and Turkey.

Benefits for the body

Useful properties show absolutely all parts of the caper bush, among which:

• analgesic;
• astringent;
• anti-infective;
• is antiseptic.

In ancient times, folk healers prepared from his flowers, roots, fruits and leaves a healing decoction that was incredibly effective both with external and with internal application. With it, you can heal wounds, eliminate toothache, bring the thyroid gland and cardiovascular system back to normal.

Tip! If you suffer from a lack of appetite, just eat a few capers shortly before eating.

How does this plant help the human body?

1. For rheumatism and brucellosis, the crushed bark of the bush is highly effective.
2. Diseases of the spleen and liver will recede if from the roots cook a decoction. And after insisting this remedy for 5 hours, you can get a healing drug against jaundice.
3. Open the young branches of the capers bush, mix with garlic and in a short time you will forget about the scab.
4. Extracted from fruit juice shows regenerative properties and helps with long healing wounds.
5. For toothache and gum disease, it is recommended that the fresh bark of the plant be chewed. A chewed mass is able to clear wounds from pus and quickly restore damaged skin.
6. To get rid of hypochondria, which is often accompanied by phobias, melancholic condition and painful suspiciousness, you should take a decoction of capers.
7. Dense unbroken flower buds are used to treat the cardiovascular system, the thyroid gland and flatulence.
8. Capers are the richest source of vitamins, among them A, B1, B2, B4, C, E, K, PP.Therefore, with the use of this product, the body acquires the ability to withstand the harmful effects of external factors and the strengthening of the immune system.

Important! Capers are contraindicated for constipation, hypotension, during childbearing and lactation.

Capers in Cooking

As a rule, capers buds are an additional ingredient that enriches the dish with its taste and aroma. And to fully disclose the taste of this product, it is finely chopped and grinded with salt. Put it in an already prepared dish or at the very end of the cooking process.

Tip! Since the capers go on sale in pickled form, then before they complement their culinary masterpieces, they should be washed to remove the smell of vinegar.

Where to add capers? Almost everywhere:

• first dishes - soups, borsch, soup, saltwort;
• meat and fish dishes;
• sauces;
• salads.

This product can be found in some recipes for baking and cocktails.

And what to do if you did not have capers at hand, and does the recipe suggest using them? How to replace capers? The simplest and ideal option would be gherkins - marinated cucumbers. They are sufficiently finely chopped and added to the dish as much as prescribed in the recipe.

In some cases, capers are made from buds of dandelion or nasturtium seeds. They are collected, washed, dried with a towel and covered with salt. Leave for 24 hours in a closed container, then spread on glass jars and pour marinade - a liter of boiled water, a tablespoon of vinegar, 2 teaspoons of salt, 50 g of sugar, a sheet of currant, a bay leaf and 3-5 peas of black pepper. After 2 weeks, you receive a product that you can add to any food.

And of course, now you should consider the most popular recipes with capers.

Chicken salad with capers

1. 400 g chicken fillets pour 5 glasses of water, put 2 teaspoons of salt, boil until cooked and cut into small cubes.
2. Take ¼ of a glass of red, black, green and white grapes, rinse and cut each into two pieces.
3. Add grapes to the grapes, 3 tablespoons of capers, half a cup of pecans, mix.
4. Make sauce: combine 1/3 cup of mayonnaise, 1/3 cup natural yogurt and a tablespoon Dijon mustard.
5. Season the salad with sauce, add salt and pepper to taste.

This salad with capers and chicken is sure to please your family and friends.

Tip! As the chicken meat becomes dry after 24 hours, it is recommended to cook it immediately before consumption.

Tartar sauce

The most popular sauce with capers is tartar. We invite you to cook it.

1. Take 2 small pickled cucumbers, a tablespoon of capers, 4 sprigs of parsley and 2 stems of green onion, chop.
2. Combine a glass of mayonnaise, 2 teaspoons of lemon juice, a teaspoon of Dijon mustard, 4 drops of Worcester sauce, 5-6 drops of Tabasco sauce, half a teaspoon of dried tarragon, mix.
3. Combine the contents of two containers, bring to taste with salt and pepper, cover with food wrap and put in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

batter Tartar from salmon with capers

1. Salmon fillet free from bones and peel, cut into small cubes - about 0.5 cm.
2. 3 shallots, a tablespoon of capers and a bunch of chives on a knife.
3. Combine fish and vegetables, stir.
4. Add a tablespoon of soy sauce, a tablespoon of olive oil, a few drops of lemon juice, a pinch of ground pepper, gently mix.
5. Tartar is placed in small molds and left in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Capers can decorate absolutely any dish with their own taste. Cook with pleasure, create new recipes and share them with your friends.