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Caper berries are the fruit of the caper plant, Capparis Spinosa, which is a bramble bush native to the Mediterranean and parts of Asia. The buds of the caper plant are hand picked in the morning, before flowering, and are pickled in brine. The caper plant can be found growing wild throughout the Mediterranean and its buds, or capers, are commonly used in various regional cuisines. Caperberries, the fruit, do not share the same widespread usage as capers do. Caperberries are used almost exclusively in Spain, the leading cultivator of these stemmed fruits which are approximately the size of a cocktail olive. Since Caperberries are more pungent and can withstand heat better, they are often used in place of the more delicate caper in cooking. The piquant flavor of the caper comes from a mustard oil glycoside named glucocapparin methyl glucosinolate, which releases the highly volatile methyl isothiocyanate. Since high temperatures will destroy this oil, caperberries are used to achieve caper flavor and aroma in sauces or other dishes where boiling is indicated. Caperberries are commonly found pickled in brine. Peaches Provisions Caperberries are preserved in salt water and vinegar. They are often used as a condiment for meats and fish, eaten as a vegetable or as you might use olives in pasta sauces. Try one in your next Martini! Each jar of Caperberries by Peaches Provisions contains 8oz. dry weight.
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