Capers are a brined flower bud. The smaller, more-prized ones are closed. As they get bigger and open up, they let in more brine and taste a bit more pickle-y and acidic. Bigger ones are sometimes called caperberries, but they're still buds.
I lived with a cat that liked sampling what I ate. Montgomery Clift (the lovely cat) liked to lick the brine, but not eat capers. Baby corn and martini olives were in danger, however
A flower bud, actually. The fruit of a caper bush is closer to the size of an olive.
Learned this while working one summer at a restaurant that specialized in Mediterranean cuisine
These are the salted and pickled unopened flower buds of Capparis spinosa, the caper bush, a perennial plant in the caper family (Capparidaceae, closely related to the cabbage family) found wild throughout the Mediterranean and other areas
Have you tried doing your own lactofermentation? It's remarkably easy, involves lots of brine, and makes incredibly delicious pickles. My favorite thing to lactoferment so far is okra. Amazingly good.
When we ran out of salt and vinegar crisps and the ready salted lingered in the cupboard for ages, I'd simply pour vinegar on them, shake up the packet, and eat.
When I was a lil kid me and my friends would fight over broccoli. I would also eat calamari and olives, loved them.
My older sister was the exact opposite, with friends who all hated vegetables and loved sweets.
She’s still picky, doesn’t even like french fries.
Your family is doing it right! This is my stepson at 8ish. I got him on to fresh oysters, and now he tries everything. He may not like everything, but at least he'll give it a shot!
HEAR IT NOW FOR AS I SAY IT, IT SHALL BE SO: Henceforth, this fearless child who consumes capers with the might of a thousand warriors shall be known as 👑 KING CAPERSAUROUS REX 🦖
May he forever reign King of culinary .. challenges..
When my daughter was 4 she received a Costco sized jar of capers for Christmas from her grandparents and it was her favorite gift ever! She ate off that jar for an entire year and loved every minute of it!
She also eats pickles, olives, anchovies straight from the tin, spoonfuls of vinegar...
One time, however, she thought that my husband was eating chicken with capers and stole a big ol spoonful, only to discover they were green peppercorns. I'll never forget her little 5 year old voice going "Those are SPICY CAPERS!"
My daughter would eat plain raw rhubarb when she was little. Loved it. We later discovered she has no sense of smell which helped explain why she loved such intense foods like lemons straight and cinnamon without sugar.
Olives were my fixation as a toddler and have continued to this day. I eat about 5-25 per day 5 days a week at least. Only miss if I’m traveling and can’t access.
I used to drink a bit of vinegar from time to time as a kid. Should’ve had the parent buy me capers instead. An aside, vinegar of French fries is where it’s at.
I have to get to the garlic stuffed green olives before my 9 year old realizes we have them, or I’ll walk into the room and see an empty jar of olive juice
My kids can’t get over British kids sitting there snacking on a jar of pickled onions. Though they don’t see an issue with German kids eating pickles from a jar!
My kids love eating pâté. I won’t go near the stuff. I’ve explained the processes involved, they still won’t give it up. The smell is enough for me to run! In the UK we also have highly processed meat “paste” sandwich spreads sold in jars. Nope. 🤢
I’m remembering that time my kid came home from second grade one afternoon and asked for raw broccoli for his snack. It became a thing. At 25 he’s still a healthy eater. That’s how he rebelled against me.
I have the strongest stomach of anyone I know. Yet I agree w/you.
But somewhere in human history someone said “I’m eating the next thing that falls out of that bird right there!”
My evil stepfather complained we drank too much milk. He marked the jug. My brother and I would sneak into the kitchen at night, sit on the floor & pass the milk jug back and forth & guzzle until it was half gone. Then fill it back up w water. We wouldn’t have any milk the rest of the week.
Kids can be weird sometimes. I remember when I was a kid, like, 7-8 years old or something, at a Christmas party at my uncle's, I saw people putting smoked oysters from a can on crackers. So I did too. Turned out I liked them, and everyone seemed a bit weirded out by it.
I can eat shocking quantities of cheesecake.
When I was little I enraged my grand mother by eating six of them one after another when no one was watching.
Your kid is gonna be fine.
I'm going to get diabetes.
My 7 yo daughter eats weird stuff. Last week, for breakfast, she asked for porridge with a side of pickled onions. Not necessarily weird food but a strange combination
That's a lot! I love them on grilled salmon and baked potatoes though. And I do catch the strays in my spoon. Sometimes there're a lot of strays. Actually sometimes close to a spoonful.
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Hope he knows his limits.
Learned this while working one summer at a restaurant that specialized in Mediterranean cuisine
Am I not supposed to do that?
These are the salted and pickled unopened flower buds of Capparis spinosa, the caper bush, a perennial plant in the caper family (Capparidaceae, closely related to the cabbage family) found wild throughout the Mediterranean and other areas
PS My family doesn't want me to have anything that's related to cabbage even remotely
Makes the gravlax go down
In a most delightful way
Me today: gimme that spoon!
My older sister was the exact opposite, with friends who all hated vegetables and loved sweets.
She’s still picky, doesn’t even like french fries.
It’s gotta be a specific dna thing or something because my husband can’t stand any of that stuff
It’s why they call them baby capers.
HEAR IT NOW FOR AS I SAY IT, IT SHALL BE SO: Henceforth, this fearless child who consumes capers with the might of a thousand warriors shall be known as 👑 KING CAPERSAUROUS REX 🦖
May he forever reign King of culinary .. challenges..
Yeah. That’s real wild.
She also eats pickles, olives, anchovies straight from the tin, spoonfuls of vinegar...
Olives still my favorite food.
Impressive!
He did love bubba’s halupkis as a kid.
So he turned out ok
I like lemons too
Good diuretic
Same
Next up - brussels sprouts, liver & bacon w/onions, bleu cheese & maybe someday balut.
Fussy eaters are pathetic 😎.
But somewhere in human history someone said “I’m eating the next thing that falls out of that bird right there!”
I sometimes bite into a raw potato still cause that crunch is so unique.
But savory…. Mmmm.
When I was little I enraged my grand mother by eating six of them one after another when no one was watching.
Your kid is gonna be fine.
I'm going to get diabetes.