A caper berry, sometimes spelled caperberry, is the oblong-shaped, seed-filled fruit of the caper bush (Capparis spinosa, also known as Flinders rose), a perennial plant from the Mediterranean. Capers, the small, edible, unopened buds of the same plant, appear on the caper bush before the berries. Compared to [capers](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/whats-a-caper-learn-all-about-the-common-ingredient), caper berries are larger and stemmed, with a shape more similar to olives. 

Retailers sell earthy green caper berries preserved in salt, vinegar, and water brine. You can enjoy the berries as a snack or incorporate them into various recipes.
Brined caper berries have an acidic, tangy flavor similar to canned capers, though they are milder in taste. A high concentration of mustard oil in unripe caper berries gives them a distinctively pungent smell.
Although caper berries and capers both come from the same bush, there are some key distinctions between these two ingredients:

- __Appearance__: Caper buds resemble tiny, dark-green pearls about the size of corn kernels. A caper berry is roughly the size of an olive, with its attached stem giving it a resemblance to cherries. 
- __Flavor__: Capers have a more intense, saltier flavor than caper berries. Additionally, caper berries contain many seeds, adding crunch to their texture. Conversely, capers do not contain seeds. 
- __Harvesting time__: Harvesters pick capers, the unopened flower buds of the caper bush, in the early spring before they open up into pinkish-white flowers with striking purple stamens. If the flower opens fully and falls off the vine, a caper berry will bloom in its place.
There are many tasty ways to put a jar of caper berries to use, including: 

1. __Dressings and aiolis__: Add chopped caper berries to any dressing, aioli, or condiment. Simple ingredients like fresh lemon juice, olive oil, and sea salt bring out its uniquely piquant and briny flavors.
2. __Grilled meats__: Cut the rich, fatty flavors of grilled meat dishes, like lamb, chicken, and pork, with whole or diced caper berries.
3. __Lemon chicken piccata__: The bright notes of caper berries provide a salty counterpoint to the crispy, lemony breaded chicken piccata. Learn how to make lemony [chicken piccata](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/easy-elevated-chicken-picatta-recipe-and-tips). 
4. __Martinis__: Garnish a Gin or Vodka Martini with a caper berry in place of the cocktail’s traditional green olives for a variation on the classic. Try making your own [Vodka Martini](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/classic-vodka-martini-recipe) at home, whether you like it stirred or shaken.
5. __Pasta__: Stir chopped caper berries into your favorite creamy or spicy pasta sauces to add deeper dimensions of savory flavor. Incorporate the berries into spaghetti puttanesca for a peppery variation on the classic caper and olive sauce. Learn how to make [puttanesca sauce](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/puttanesca-sauce-recipe).
6. __Pizzas__: Garnish your homemade pizza with caper berries, anchovies, and other classic toppings for a briny Italian bite. 
7. __Roasted vegetables__: Upgrade roasted cauliflower, broccoli, sweet potatoes, and other hearty vegetables with chopped caper berries for an infusion of acidic, peppery flavors. 
8. __Smoked and cured fish__: The salty flavor of caper berries perfectly complements smoked salmon or lox in a brunch bagel spread. Learn how to make [smoked salmon](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/smoked-salmon-recipe). 
9. __Salads__: Swap olives for caper berries in a simple Greek salad, or add the pungent berries to a classic [Niçoise salad](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/classic-french-nicoise-salad-recipe). This traditional French salad pairs capers with potatoes, haricots verts, hard-boiled eggs, and tuna.
10. __Tapenades__: Add tangy caper berries to a briny olive tapenade for an interesting pungent flavor. Spread the berries atop [crostini](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/crostini) for a tangy, crunchy snack or appetizer. 
11. __Tartar sauce and rémoulade__: Perfect for dressing decadent fish dishes, home cooks can make tartar sauce or rémoulade using caper berries, mayonnaise, chopped pickles, mustard, and other flavorful ingredients.
Become a better chef with the [MasterClass Annual Membership](https://www.masterclass.com). Gain access to exclusive video lessons taught by the world’s best, including Gordon Ramsay, Gabriela Cámara, Chef Thomas Keller, Dominique Ansel, Yotam Ottolenghi, Alice Waters, and more.
Caper berries are a unique and versatile ingredient, full of bright, briny flavor. Hailing from different areas in Italy, Spain, Morocco, and Greece, the caper berry can add a Mediterranean flair to many savory dishes. Learn more about the versatile berry.

Caper berries are a unique and versatile ingredient, full of bright, briny flavor. Hailing from different areas in Italy, Spain, Morocco, and Greece, the caper berry can add a Mediterranean flair to many savory dishes. Learn more about the versatile berry.

Caper Berry Overview: 11 Ways to Use Caper Berries

A caper berry, sometimes spelled caperberry, is the oblong-shaped, seed-filled fruit of the caper bush (Capparis spinosa, also known as Flinders rose), a perennial plant from the Mediterranean. Capers, the small, edible, unopened buds of the same plant, appear on the caper bush before the berries. Compared to <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/whats-a-caper-learn-all-about-the-common-ingredient' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/whats-a-caper-learn-all-about-the-common-ingredient","linkCopy":"capers","category":null}'>capers</a>, caper berries are larger and stemmed, with a shape more similar to olives. Retailers sell earthy green caper berries preserved in salt, vinegar, and water brine. You can enjoy the berries as a snack or incorporate them into various recipes.

What Is a Caper Berry?

Brined caper berries have an acidic, tangy flavor similar to canned capers, though they are milder in taste. A high concentration of mustard oil in unripe caper berries gives them a distinctively pungent smell.

What Does a Caper Berry Taste Like?

Although caper berries and capers both come from the same bush, there are some key distinctions between these two ingredients:<ul class="mc-m-4 list-styled"><li class="">Appearance: Caper buds resemble tiny, dark-green pearls about the size of corn kernels. A caper berry is roughly the size of an olive, with its attached stem giving it a resemblance to cherries. </li><li class="">Flavor: Capers have a more intense, saltier flavor than caper berries. Additionally, caper berries contain many seeds, adding crunch to their texture. Conversely, capers do not contain seeds. </li><li class="">Harvesting time: Harvesters pick capers, the unopened flower buds of the caper bush, in the early spring before they open up into pinkish-white flowers with striking purple stamens. If the flower opens fully and falls off the vine, a caper berry will bloom in its place. </li></ul>

What Are the Differences Between Caper Berries and Capers?

There are many tasty ways to put a jar of caper berries to use, including: <ol class="mc-m-4"><li class="mc-my-4"> 1. Dressings and aiolis: Add chopped caper berries to any dressing, aioli, or condiment. Simple ingredients like fresh lemon juice, olive oil, and sea salt bring out its uniquely piquant and briny flavors. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 2. Grilled meats: Cut the rich, fatty flavors of grilled meat dishes, like lamb, chicken, and pork, with whole or diced caper berries. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 3. Lemon chicken piccata: The bright notes of caper berries provide a salty counterpoint to the crispy, lemony breaded chicken piccata. Learn how to make lemony <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/easy-elevated-chicken-picatta-recipe-and-tips' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/easy-elevated-chicken-picatta-recipe-and-tips","linkCopy":"chicken piccata","category":null}'>chicken piccata</a>. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 4. Martinis: Garnish a Gin or Vodka Martini with a caper berry in place of the cocktail’s traditional green olives for a variation on the classic. Try making your own <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/classic-vodka-martini-recipe' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/classic-vodka-martini-recipe","linkCopy":"Vodka Martini","category":null}'>Vodka Martini</a> at home, whether you like it stirred or shaken. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 5. Pasta: Stir chopped caper berries into your favorite creamy or spicy pasta sauces to add deeper dimensions of savory flavor. Incorporate the berries into spaghetti puttanesca for a peppery variation on the classic caper and olive sauce. Learn how to make <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/puttanesca-sauce-recipe' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/puttanesca-sauce-recipe","linkCopy":"puttanesca sauce","category":null}'>puttanesca sauce</a>. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 6. Pizzas: Garnish your homemade pizza with caper berries, anchovies, and other classic toppings for a briny Italian bite. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 7. Roasted vegetables: Upgrade roasted cauliflower, broccoli, sweet potatoes, and other hearty vegetables with chopped caper berries for an infusion of acidic, peppery flavors. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 8. Smoked and cured fish: The salty flavor of caper berries perfectly complements smoked salmon or lox in a brunch bagel spread. Learn how to make <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/smoked-salmon-recipe' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/smoked-salmon-recipe","linkCopy":"smoked salmon","category":null}'>smoked salmon</a>. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 9. Salads: Swap olives for caper berries in a simple Greek salad, or add the pungent berries to a classic <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/classic-french-nicoise-salad-recipe' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/classic-french-nicoise-salad-recipe","linkCopy":"Niçoise salad","category":null}'>Niçoise salad</a>. This traditional French salad pairs capers with potatoes, haricots verts, hard-boiled eggs, and tuna. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 10. Tapenades: Add tangy caper berries to a briny olive tapenade for an interesting pungent flavor. Spread the berries atop <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/crostini' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/crostini","linkCopy":"crostini","category":null}'>crostini</a> for a tangy, crunchy snack or appetizer. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 11. Tartar sauce and rémoulade: Perfect for dressing decadent fish dishes, home cooks can make tartar sauce or rémoulade using caper berries, mayonnaise, chopped pickles, mustard, and other flavorful ingredients. </li></ol>

11 Ways to Use Caper Berries

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Want to Learn More About Cooking?

Caper berries are a unique and versatile ingredient, full of bright, briny flavor. Hailing from different areas in Italy, Spain, Morocco, and Greece, the caper berry can add a Mediterranean flair to many savory dishes. Learn more about the versatile berry.

Caper berries are a unique and versatile ingredient, full of bright, briny flavor. Hailing from different areas in Italy, Spain, Morocco, and Greece, the caper berry can add a Mediterranean flair to many savory dishes. Learn more about the versatile berry.
