Dettagli

Caper

BRIEF HISTORY AND BOTANICAL NOTES ON THE PLANT

It belongs to the Capparidaceae family, Capparales order. In its wild form, as it grows on coastal rocks, it is Capparis spinosa. The name is due to the presence, at the base of the petiole, of two stipules transformed into thorns, not present in all varieties. It is a small branched shrub or suffrutix with a prostrate-drooping habit. It has a long root, which develops in cracks between rocks and in old walls mainly in coastal areas with a mild climate, but in sheltered positions it also resists in Northern Italy, and many stems up to 80 cm long and more covered with evergreen leaves, rounded and shiny, at the base of which there are two short thorns (on some varieties). The buds give rise from the month of May until the end of summer to a stupendous pinkish-white flower with long red-violet stamens, 4-5 cm in diameter, which has four rounded petals and four round sepals, they are axillary and long petiolate and ephemeral. The fruit consists of an elongated reddish-green berry, which opens when ripe, revealing a large number of black seeds.
Already appreciated by the Sumerians for its spicy buds, as evidenced by clay tablets dating back to 2700 BC, caper seeds dating back to over 5000 BC have been found in archaeological excavations in Iran and references can also be found in the Old Testament. From the arid areas of Asia Minor it spread along the coasts of the entire Mediterranean, among the ancient Greeks and the ancient Romans, used both in cooking and for medicinal purposes.

NEEDS
The Caper grows well everywhere, but prefers loose and well-drained soil, cannot tolerate prolonged water stagnation, but needs a lot of water, which it can also obtain in the South thanks to the considerable length of the root system. It needs a good supply of nutrition, but without excess. The use of biodynamic compost is optimal. During periods of frost it cannot tolerate water stagnation. To grow luxuriantly it needs a lot of water.

PLANT
The propagation of the caper occurs either by seed or by semi-woody cutting. Propagation by seed has little chance of success because the germination rate is very low. The cutting is carried out in summer, taking 7-10 cm of a 2-3 year old woody branch.
The best planting period is between January and February. The planting spacings are normally 2.0 mx 2.0 m or 2.5 mx 2.5 m between the rows and along the rows (approximately 1000-2000 plants per hectare). PROCESSING
It does not require special care, cleaning around the plants must be managed in such a way as not to encourage the presence of slugs. Starting from the month of January, superficial tillage of the land begins to bury the wild herbs.

FERTILIZATION
The caper requires nutritional supplies that are not abundant, but well distributed throughout the season.PRODUCTS
The normally edible part is made up of the flower buds, commonly called capers, but the fruit, called cucuncio, the young leaves and the roots are also used.
Capers are included in the list of traditional Italian agri-food products (PAT) of the Ministry of Agricultural Policies as a typical Sicilian product. The Caper of Pantelleria has obtained the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI).

CULTURAL CURES
On average, two to three irrigations are necessary during the first year of planting.
The caper must be pruned at the end of winter (January-February) from the second year of life, cutting the dry wood and the suckers, so as to leave numerous twigs about half a centimeter long as the caper only flowers on the branches issued during the year .

ADVERSITY'
The Caper is very sensitive to snail attack. It can also be attacked by scale insects or root rot, which generally occurs if it is grown in unsuitable areas.PRODUCTS FOR

DEFENCE
To limit imbalances predisposing to diseases, cultivation in suitable environments is essential; further help is represented by spraying with horsetail decoction and nettle macerate.
Snails can be combated by spraying the biodynamic preparation cornosilica 501, with the use of putrefaction macerates, ash, traps based on beer or specific baits, specific nematodes and birds (in particular ducks).

PRODUCTION AND COLLECTION
The main edible part is made up of the flower buds, commonly called capers: they are harvested while still closed and preserved by maceration in salt or vinegar. The fruit, with a similar flavor but more delicate than the caper, is called cucuncio, cocuncio or caperone and must be harvested before excessive maturation and splitting and preserved in salt, oil or vinegar. The young leaves are also used as salad, after cooking for a few minutes in boiling water. The roots are harvested in autumn.
From the third year of the plant's life, a part of the flower buds can be harvested before they bloom, from the end of May to the beginning of August along the coast and in the hills from June to mid-September. Each branch grows continuously and produces buds, so about ten harvests can be obtained from each plant, one every 8-10 days.

NUTRITIONAL VALUES
The caper plant is the one that contains the most quercetin. The bark of the root is used in herbal medicine. The active ingredients have diuretic, purifying and blood vessel protective properties. It can be used in the treatment of gout, hemorrhoids and varicose veins. The dried extracts of the fruit also have skin antioxidant activity which helps in case of allergies. It also has aphrodisiac properties.

FAMILY AND VARIETY
There are not many varieties of this aromatic plant which is extensively cultivated in some areas of Sicily in the Aeolian Islands of Salina and Pantelleria.
In addition to the main variety, equipped with "thorns", Capparis spinosa, there are those with no or almost no thorns such as Capparis rupestris, more frequent in northern areas, Capparis ovata, characterized by pubescent leaves, widespread in drier places, Capparis sicula, present in various areas of the South, and the Capparis spinosa 'Inermis', which does not have thorns and has glabrous leaves and is the form cultivated in industrial crops and for ornamental purposes. In the Pantelleria area the main cultivar is Nocellara, particularly valuable and fragrant, which can boast the recognition of "Capero di Pantelleria PGI".

BIODYNAMIC TREATMENTS
In addition to the spraying of the spray preparations at the plant and in production, the supply of organic substance appropriately composted via biodynamic heap allows to limit imbalances in growth, which is very important for correct maturation, and the consequent attacks by parasites.
It is advisable to weed the propagation material with soil mixed with cornoletame 500 or with diluted biodynamic log paste.

USE OF THE BIODYNAMIC CALENDAR
To preserve quality and shelf life, harvest on flower days.

Giulio Moiraghi