What the devil are these? [Caper berries]
 

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I was expecting capers with my chicken piccata. I got these instead. They looked like olives at first glance, tasted a little like olives. But full of little seeds instead of a single pit. I meant to ask the server but forgot.

Pickled baby cucumbers

Those are indeed caper berries which are larger than capers. Both are yummy!

Exactly. I think one is the flower and one is the fruit. Or something like that. Both are brined. I think the caper berries are sometimes served with a bit of the stem but the ones in the photo aren't.

Definitely caper berries. Have always been a staple “pickle” in Spanish markets and stores, they are becoming easier and easier to find in London lately.
Great for me as I love them and they are low in carbs.

Here’s a photo from when I last went caper bud picking to preserve my own (used to be quite tricky getting the small capers in salt in my part of Spain, the default there is in vinegar). Ants love them as buds so you have to hang them to dry out, they don’t taste sweet to me but since younger caper buds have 5 times as much carbs as the more mature caper berries the ants must be able to discern the sugar.

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So, first you get caper buds, then comes the flower, and I’ve circled the part that grows from the pollinated flower and becomes a caper berry:

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Thank you all. I had only had the little buds previously. I didn’t like the crunchiness of the seeds in these, but maybe there wasn’t anything else that bothered me. I will order again with a more open mind.

They do vary in size and the ones you had seem rather large to me. That could be a reason why the stems weren’t included.

Keep your eyes out for smaller ones. The size of caper buds doesn’t necessarily denote their quality, but the size of caper berries very definitely does. You only really notice the seeds in the bigger kinds, just like the ones you had. I think it’s because the less mature seeds are more of a tender hollow membrane, as they mature they become firmer and darker. I just looked back at your photos, you can see the difference in the second example between the smaller and larger caper berries you cut into.

My mum’s brother preserves the tender leaf shoots from capers, in Spanish they are called “tallos” (ta-yos), or rather, “tallos de alcaparra” I originally thought I didn’t like them (too bitter) but then I had some commercially produced ones which were milder in taste. Those I enjoyed. Even in Spain these aren’t so common and I’ve not seen them in London at all.

Try stemmed caper berries in a martini in place of olives. A nice variation.

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I finished my fish and chips tonight and underneath all the chips were what appears to be deep fried capers. They were good, but after frying, they don’t really have caper flavor.

I occasionally roughly chop brined capers when I make tartar sauce for homemade fried fish. I've had them fried like that before as well, and agree they don't have much flavor. I assume a lot of flavor comes from the brine.

But I would have been in the same boat as you in your original post. Now I want to try the whole berry. Your picture reminds me of pomegranates with all those little seeds -- which is why I don't eat pomegranates. :)

Wow - what a terrific thread!

I had no idea caper blossoms were so lovely!

I like that idea a lot. :)

Or even a thing. This last weekend, I read a description for a charcuterie/antipasto plate at a cocktail lounge we were considering. It listed both olives and caper berries on the plate. We didn't go, but now it's on my to-do list. Perhaps caper berries are the next short-lived food trend in the US :).

All "to taste".
Minimum: Mayo, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, finely chopped pickles (we never have pickle relish), a few grinds of pepper.
Optional: Finely diced red onion or shallot, chopped capers, dash of hot sauce

Open to any great additions anyone suggests!

Oh I like caper berries! I think I first had them in a niçoise salad once. I remember them being like a somewhat milder caper.