From mid-June to early July you will see people picking the caper buds that grow on wild bushes in the countryside. If you have never eaten capers, it is very hard to describe what they taste like. When first picked from the bushes they have a bland taste but after they are pickled in brine or vinegar (or a mixture of both) they will develop a sharp, tangy taste.
When I was a young girl I often used to go and cut capers with my parents, but especially with my father. Even as I write this I can feel the heat of the sun drenched rocks and the silence enveloping everything – broken only by the shrill screech of some lonely cicada (some years they start their ‘singing’ early depending on how hot the weather is). The grass would be dry beneath our feet but, in the fields, we would discern the blush of peaches and plums through the leaves. It always felt good to be out there in the valleys, enjoying a glimpse of some shy lizard that happened to cross our path and delighting in the sight of butterflies and dragonflies dancing and dipping over our heads.
The caper buds do not last very long and soon the buds will bloom into beautiful little flowers. It is then, when the capers bloom, that the heat seems to intensify and summer hits us in full force with its fiery breath.
The weeks ahead are an endless mesh of scorching hot days and balmy nights as the caper flowers wither and their beauty fades. But every time I add the caper buds to our sauces or our food, their tangy, aromatic taste takes me right back to my childhood, to the parched fields and the butterflies and to the time when the capers bloom.
You can go here and here for more information on capers and their use in different recipes.
Hi Loree..such a beautiful poetic post..i can feel myself driftng right within your enchanting words! The shy lizard...oh so sweet! Beautiful post..beautiful memories..thanks for sharing your magic always!
ReplyDeletekiki~
What fond and vivid memories you have of picking capers with your father. I had never seen a caper blossom before, they look enchanting. :)
ReplyDeleteSuch a nice memory and scene you depicted! I've never seen fresh capers or ever thought of capers as unbloomed flowers.
ReplyDeleteLovely post Loree!
♥...Wanda
Gorgeous caper flowers, Loree, and I haven't seen one before!
ReplyDeleteHow interesting ! I didn't know that capers grow on wild bushes ! I never thought about it, I just buy them in a little jar ! And what beautiful flowers come out of the buds ! I really learned something here !
ReplyDeleteI'd never thought about where they come from. Nice to know. What lovely photos and such great memories too.
ReplyDeleteI love capers but certainly never knew anything about them. The buds are very colorful, but the ensuing flowers are so exotic and gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteYour post has taken me back to my caper-picking times with my family. I used to love accompanying my family to quiet places where the capers used to grow in abundance, like Zurrieq and Cirkewwa. Lovely post.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful tale of childhood memories, and I learned so much about capers reading it! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI love capers, btw. :-)
Loree, I am thrilled to find your blog with its beautiful photos and amazing stories. I will be back often. Merci.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a fantastic post! Love the memories your shared and I never imagined (though I wondered) what capers looked liked before they showed up in my cute little jar at the grocery store. Unfortunately, a byproduct of living in the city I guess. I am madly trying to catch up with all of your great posts. (been a crazy time here)
ReplyDeleteI love to eat foods prepared with capers.
ReplyDelete'When I was a young girl I often used to go and cut capers with my parents, but especially with my father. Even as I write this I can feel the heat of the sun drenched rocks and the silence enveloping everything – broken only by the shrill screech of some lonely cicada'
This is beautiful writing.