Where Are Capers in the Grocery Store?

Looking for capers in your local grocery store? Here is where you’ll find it.

Capers are simply flower buds of caper bush that are still intact. It’s commonly grown in Italy, Morocco, and some countries in Asia. It’s usually dried in the sun and then pricked with vinegar to give it its strong flavor.

They’re typically used to make caponata pasta, tapenade, or vegan Aioli. It either functions as a dressing coat, sauce, or condiment. In places like India, capers are used as a side dish after it’s picked to create an acidic taste.

Where to Find Capers in the Grocery Store?

Most grocery shops in the US keep capers in the condiment aisle or in the international aisle, typically near the Mediterranean or Asian section.

Meanwhile, some grocery stores may have it on random shelves with jar food items. But if you still can’t find it in these aisles, ask the nearest employee for directions on where it’s located.

Read Also: Where to Find Tahini in the Grocery Store

What Do Capers Look Like in Grocery Store?

When in the grocery store, expect to see capers in glass jars or plastic containers. They’re usually preserved in brine solution, which gives them a tangy and slightly salty flavor.

Capers are usually green or dark depending on the size or how they’ve been processed. Typically, they are around the size of a pea or a bit larger.

Due to the brining process which they undergo, capers have a slightly firm texture. But definitely not crunchy. Just soft enough to be easily eaten.

Where to Buy Capers Near You?

If you want to buy capers near you, then you might want to check in any of these stores.

1. Amazon

Do you prefer to shop from home? Amazon stocks caper like Whol Foods’s 365 organic capers, Campora Nature organic capers, and Sanniti Spanish non-pariel capers.

2. Walmart

Walmart keeps capers in the pantry department. So if you have  Walmart nearby, it’s a surefire place to get some jars of capers. They carry Great Value capers, Goya capers, Crosse & Blackwell, and Mezzetta capers.

3. Kroger

At Kroger, capers are kept in the condiment and salad dressing aisle in the pantry department. They keep products like Private Selection non-pariel capers, Goya organic non-pariel capers, Jeff’s Garden organic, Napoleon non-pariel capers, and so on.

4. Safeway

If you are at Safeway, you can find capers in the condiment aisle among pickles, relish, and olives. It stocks capers from Signature Select, O Organics, DeLallo, Mezzetta, and Reese.

5. Whole Foods

In Whole Foods, capers are kept among canned goods in the pantry essentials department. If there’s a Whole Foods store nearby, be sure to check it out. Among the caper brands they carry are Italbrand capers, 365 by Whole Foods non-pariel capers, Mediterranean Organic wild non-pariel capers, etc.

Read Also: Does Whole Foods Take EBT

6. Target

Check the nearest Target store if you prefer to shop there. In Target, you will find capers in the canned and packed foods aisle, which is in the pantry department. Goods and Gather capers, Reese capers, Crosse and Blackwell, and Great Value, are some of the products they carry.

What are the Types of Capers?

There are six types of capers, and they’re classified according to size. The smallest and most expensive is the Nonpareil Capers which are about 7mm in diameter – about the size of a green pea.

The most common types of capers are the Surfine Capers which are about 7mm to 8mm in diameter.

Then there are bigger sizes like the Capucines, which are 8mm to 9mm, capotes which are 9mm to 11 mm, and fines which are 11mm to 13mm.

Grusas capers are the largest, usually over 14mm in diameter – they’re quite uncommon in grocery stores.

How to Store Capers

While it’s still in an air-tight jar, it can be stored in pretty much any place in the kitchen at room temperature.

However, once you’ve opened the air-tight jar from first use, it’s best to keep it in the refrigerator to extend its lifetime. When stored properly, cappers can last for years.

Best Substitutes for Capers

Many alternatives can help you out in a caper bind. In this article, we will name four of them.

1. Pickles

Physically, they look quite the same, so having it as your first option for replacement isn’t farfetched. Both also have that vinegary taste which is part of the reason capers are used in the first place.

Whether it’s the green color or the red onions, both will do a great job substituting for capers. Meanwhile, you want to chop them into caper-sized pieces for them to actually look the part in your dish.

2. Green Olives

If you’re looking for something with the closest taste to capers, then green olives are definitely what you’re looking for. Aside from having a similar texture, they’ve also got that salty-acidic taste that’ll make you almost forget that you’re not consuming the actual capers.

While that’s the case, you want to dial down the quantity to one olive for every two capers you want to use.

3. Lemon

Fruits can also get on the menu… lemons can be a good replacement for capers, especially because of their acidity, which gives a very similar taste to cappers.

Although lemons can be quite bitter, you can add some ground pepper to reduce the bitterness. Just like green olives, you want to add small amounts because they taste more sour and acidic than the actual capers.

Health Benefits of Capers

Like all healthy foods, capers are great for a lot of things. Aside from being a great source of flavor, there are other amazing positives it has in our system.

Prevents Alzheimer’s

Research shows that regular consumers of flavonols (what’s available in capers) are more likely to avoid Alzheimer’s in their lifetime.

Prevents Cancer

Capers are one of those condiments you want to be consuming regularly because of their level of usefulness to our health. Although not independently, a combination of capers and poultry or red meat can reduce the likelihood of the eater getting cancer.

According to studies, it’s potent in a way that just a small amount can do a lot of work in reducing the creation of cancerous cells.