There are so many benefits of capers! From benefits to blood pressure to brain health, capers can bring so many good things to your body. Adding them to a recipe can change up their flavors completely, for the better!
“You had me until capers!”
“I don’t like capers!”
“What can I substitute capers with in this recipe?
Those are just some of the comments I get when I mention that capers are in a recipe! I just can’t understand why people don’t like it because I love snacking on them.
This deep dive into capers is my way of making you fall in love with them!
Originally published on May 28, 2023, at 5 pm. Click here to see why this recipe was updated.
What are capers?
Capers are tiny green pieces of edible flower buds that come from the caper bush (AKA Flinders Rose). The plant has distinguishable thick leaves and beautiful white flowers. The capers flower buds are harvested in the wild and stored inside glass bottles in a brine solution.
Where do capers grow?
The capers bush (Caparis Spinosa) grows in the wild in the Mediterranean region. This is normally around the continents of Europe, parts of Western Asia, and Africa. It’s famously grown in Italy, where it can even be foraged in the wild.
Capers love a dry climate all year round, so they love Spain and Portugal too. They can tolerate drought conditions, too, so they are a highly sought-after crop.
👩🍳 Storage tip: Keep a jar of capers refrigerated, and they can last for months.
Benefits of capers
Capers are one of those rare ingredients that are good for the organs as well as your emotional health. Check out what Capers can do for you.
Packed with polyphenols
One of the biggest benefits of capers is that they are packed with polyphenols. What are polyphenols? They are naturally occurring compounds in foods that help prevent cancer. Source: Oxford University Press.
Capers have a huge dose of Quercetin, which is a powerful compound. Quercetin is a part of the flavonoid polyphenols. Quercetin is our ally in the fight against free radicals. We all know that free radicals can damage DNA and weaken and/or kill cells. Capers will help fight these damaging effects! Source: Mount Sinai.
Just consuming 1 Tbsp of capers a day can go a long way to helping get rid of free radicals. They have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, making them invaluable.
💪 Packed with polyphenols: Capers’ biggest benefit is that they are packed with polyphenols that help fight cancer.
Good source of Vitamins
Capers are a good source of vitamins and minerals. They provide vitamin K, which is important for blood clotting. Vitamin K helps make the protein called Prothrombin that helps in blood clotting.
Capers have a small amount of Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) ,and Vitamin B3 (Niacin). These vitamins are important for skin and hair health. Iron helps in the formation of red blood cells.
Even though these vitamins and minerals are not in large amounts, they help the body run efficiently.
Source: Harvard.edu and Natural Medicines.
🥬 Source of vitamins: Even though capers have small amounts of vitamins and minerals, they pack quite a nutritional punch.
Has with Calcium and Iron
Did you know that just 1 Tbsp of capers have about 3.4mg of calcium? Calcium is essential for strong bones and teeth. I bet you will be consuming more capers from now on!
Capers also have trace amounts of iron in them. One tablespoon has about 0.15g of iron in it. That may not be much, but every little bit helps. Consume it with vitamin C rich foods like this berry Greek yogurt bowl to help maximize absorption.
Source: USDA.gov (change the portion amount to 1 Tbsp)
High in fiber, low in calories
Get your fiber in without getting in too many calories. 1 tablespoon has about 0.3g of fiber and about 2 calories.
So, go ahead and add 2-3 Tbsp of capers on your salads or in pastas! You are getting nothing but the good stuff in it.
Source: University of Rochester.
🦴 Capers & Minerals: Capers have calcium, iron, and fiber. They are also a very LOW calorie food.
Lowers blood sugars
A randomized, double-blind placebo study by PubMed shows that capers have a component that can help lower blood sugars.
There is more research needed as to why exactly capers help lower blood sugar, but the fact is that capers are great for type 2 diabetes. Please consult with your doctor if you are taking diabetes medicine.
Improves liver health
In yet another 12-week PubMed study, it is shown that capers can help reduce Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFL). The participants in this study noticed significant weight loss and BMIs.
Anything bitter in taste will always help with liver health. So, things like dandelion, milk thistle, and arugula will go a long way in the bettering of your liver.
Source: The Chopra Center and PubMed studies mentioned above.
Other benefits of capers
- Anti-inflammatory properties
- Good for bone health
😋 Incorporating it: Now that you know the benefits of capers, start incorporating it into your diet. Start with just 1-2 capers a day. Work your way to 2-3 Tbsp.
Capers conclusion!
In a nutshell, here are the benefits of capers:
- Packed with polyphenols
- Good source of vitamins
- Has calcium and iron
- High in fiber, low in calories
- Lowers blood sugars
- Improves liver health
If you are the person who hates the taste of capers, try with just 1 or 2 capers a day. Then, work your way to 2-3 Tbsp a day. Your body will thank you.
Answering Common Questions
Translated from French, nonpareille (nonpareil) means having no equal or “non-parallel”. On caper bottles, this means that they are the smallest size of capers. There is no other equal in size. So, when you purchase nonpareille capers, you are buying capers that are about 7mm in size.
Caperberries are larger and sometimes have the stem still attached. They look more like green olives and not like capers. Nutrition-wise, they have the same profile. Caper berries are a little saltier, but the taste difference is negligible. Small capers are what you commonly see in grocery stores.
Capers can be bought from your local grocery store or big box stores. Where possible, get the organic wild capers. I have seen them on (Affiliate Link) Amazon, too.
Capers will not survive in areas where the temp is below 18°F (-7°C). So, if you live in areas with winters, this crop will not grow there. When you have mature buds, it’s ready to harvest. For more information on growing them, check out this guide by Gardner’s Path.
“To store them, I simply keep them in the jar they come in. If they are unopened, I store them in the pantry, which is cool and dark. If they are opened, I keep them in the refrigerator, ensuring they are fully covered with their brine.” – Gen La Rocca, Chef and Owner of Two Cloves Kitchen
Brined capers can last a long time, so don’t be afraid to get a big jar.
Capers have a very distinct tangy and salty taste with a rough texture. They are also very juicy inside because they are stored in brine. Their tartness and intense flavor makes them perfect for salad dressings, compound butter, risotto, remoulade, pesto, hummus, aioli, and so much more.
Types of capers
- Capucines
- Capotes
- Caper berries
- Grusas
Easy capers recipes
Capers are not just good as a garnish or in Martinis! They can be put in a variety of dishes, so don’t be afraid to try them. These recipes make them more than just a recipe ingredient.
Chermoula sauce is a sauce that is made with different types of fresh herbs. Capers add a delicious flavor to the finer taste of herbs. This sauce is great for pastas and noodles or as a marinade. Put this sauce into dips or Pasta puttanesca.
Mushrooms are a powerhouse of nutrition. However, they are very bland, and that’s what makes it fun to find amazing ways to flavor them. I have put them in sandwiches, pastas, and hash sweet potatoes.
But my favorite is to lightly cook mushrooms and top it with capers! You won’t regret this mushroom recipe!
This lentil salad takes just 11 minutes to make because it’s made in the Instant Pot. Once it’s ready, I top it with capers and enjoy this protein-packed meal.
I made this in my Instant Pot, but you can easily make it in a pan.
Capers made lentils taste so good!
Freshly grilled veggies are perfect for pasta. The sauce is made with herbs and extra butter! But, what puts this pasta dinner over the edge are the 2 Tbsp of capers! It makes this gluten-free pasta taste awesome!
Capers also mix well with grilled veggies.
No bruschetta recipe is complete without tomatoes and capers! This recipe is extra special because it also has mushrooms. The recipe is a perfect Sunday brunch recipe.
You can also put this bruschetta on a bagel! They taste so good together.
So, feel free to put extra capers in this recipe! It brings out the best flavors.
Sharing is caring
Don’t be shy; chime in below in the comments. Let me hear your opinion on the benefits of capers. Share it on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram.
Version 1
From time to time, I will go through old recipes to update the content. Sometimes, I update just the images, and sometimes, I give the recipe a complete makeover.
This time, I did minor updates in the text and added a little more information to the post. As I do more research on capers, I would like to add more of what I have learned about them.
I didn’t know caper berries were different from capers, cool knowledge bomb! I also didn’t realize all the perks of capers, I’ll definitely be using them more often!
Thank you, Damara. They are so eay to incorporate into meals.
I didn’t know that capers could have a lot of benefits! I’m impressed with this post. It gives so much valuable information!
Thank you, Janeil
I love capers. They’re so salty and delicious, and they’re a great way to add a little zest to any dish.
Thank you, Jane
I usually use capers if I can disguise them in salad dressings etc, but I had to try your mushroom bruschetta with capers recipe and wow! the health benefits also amazed me thank you for that!
Thank you so much Claud. Capers are delicious and they make everything taste so good. That mushroom bruschetta is my all time favorite way to eating capers.
I LOVE capers so I need no convincing to use them in every recipe possible but this is some great info to explain to the haters! 😉
Thank you, Gina
I never knew that capers were a natural source of Quercetin! That’s huge and may just be the game changer for me.
Thank you, Shelby. Quercetin is their biggest asset, so I try to eat it everyday.
I had no idea these little briny bursts of deliciousness would be so good. Thanks for all the valuable information.
Thank you, Elizabeth. I want people to love capers as much as I do.
This is a brilliant post for people to consider capers! I am a caper fan and I usually used it on our family meal rotation, especially for salad or pasta.
Thank you, Sharina. I love it on pastas and sandwiches.
I didn’t know that capers could bring a lot of benefits until I discovered your post! I’m truly impressed and excited to incorporate capers into my recipes going forward.
Thank you, Janice. I try to eat 1-2 Tbsp a day of capers.
Wow!! Who knew that capers were so good for you!
I LOVE them, like eat them straight from the jar love them! I am like Bridget Jones and her branston pickle 😉 but with capers!
So it is so good to know that they have so many benefits!
We have them with a lot of dishes! So yummy in a cream sauce for a pop of acidity and salt. Or fried and added to pasta (Although I guess that negates some of the health benefits!)
But I am excited to try your lentil salad as that sound amazing.
Awww, Thank you so much Claire. I am so happy to hear that. I have eaten olives and capers right out of the jar, lol! The lentil salad is my favorite too.