What Is the Difference Between Capers and Caper Apples?

Both capers and caper apples come from the caper bush, which is native to southern Europe. Capers are closed flower buds. They are carefully harvested by hand in the spring. When harvested later, whole fruits, the so-called caper apples or caper berries, develop from the buds. They are significantly larger and firmer than capers and have numerous very small seeds inside. Before they go on sale, both variants are pickled in vinegar and oil or in brine. They taste spicy and have a very strong taste.

In this country, capers are usually pickled in vinegar or oil, the salted variant is somewhat rarer. In combination with salt, however, capers are particularly aromatic and have an intense taste. The size of the pickled flower buds also has an influence on the aroma: the larger ones taste comparatively strong, while the smaller capers have a finer aroma.

Caper apples also differ from capers in their use in the kitchen. They are often eaten pure. For example, in southern Europe, they are very common in combination with olives as a snack. Capers, on the other hand, are a very common spice, especially in Mediterranean cuisine.

Capers pickled in brine are particularly suitable as a spice. The excess salt should be rinsed off thoroughly beforehand. Alternatively, pickled capers can also be used as a spice. A classic Mediterranean dish with capers, for example, is Vitello Tonnato: Here the sauce is seasoned with the pickled flower buds, and caper apples are also often served and eaten on their own. The most famous German dish with capers is probably the Königsberger Klopse.