Capers are a staple of our home cooking, and we eat them enough that I decided to learn how to grow them myself. I was disappointed to learn that they need a long growing season and lots of heat to thrive, so no luck in Vermont.
Traditional capers are the pickled flower buds of a heat-loving Mediterranean shrub, but there are a number of other pickled flower buds that taste remarkably similar.
Dandelions produce a small, caper-sized flower bud early in spring before the stem shoots skyward and opens into a flower. If picked small enough, dandelion buds can be made into convincing dandelion capers. That’s a homemade caper that just about anyone can grow!
Dandelion Capers
The first step is to find very tiny dandelion buds. I’m not talking about just plucking off closed flowers from the top of a dandelion stem. Those buds have already developed into a fully formed flower inside, and they’ll pickle into a squishy ball full of fluffy petals.
Capers have a bit of crunch to them, and to get that texture you need very young buds. Look at the ground for a telltale dandelion rosette. At the very center of a young plant, there will be a small dandelion bud very close to the ground. The stem hasn’t grown up yet, and the bud is still forming into a flower.
A closed dandelion flower bud, very close to the ground.
The dandelion bud above is just starting to spit off its outer leaves. This is the very largest bud you’d use to make capers. If you want the good stuff though, go deeper.
Once you pluck off that primary bud, underneath there will be a number of pea-sized secondary buds that are even younger.
Secondary dandelion buds underneath the primary flower. This is the very same dandelion, as the first picture. All these tasty future capers were hiding behind the first flower bud.
Dandelions don’t just produce one flower. Each plant produces many flowers over the course of the season, and even if you take all of these secondary buds, no worries, they’ll keep coming back.
Use your finger to pry these little buds out from the inside of the rosette. The primary bud came off easily, but these are deep down in there and take a bit more work.
Once you have them out, all you need is roughly 100 more dandelions and you’ve got a batch of capers. Well, maybe not quite that many, but you get the idea.
Once I showed this handful of “secret dandelion buds” to my daughter she went to work. It’s like a scavenger hunt for a tiny kid, and my baby girl filled the jar in no time flat.
Now that you have the buds, it’s time to pickle them. Dandelion capers can be made two different ways.
Dandelion capers can be made just like homemade pickles, using a vinegar and salt brine. Using this method, they can be water bath canned for long-term preservation or just popped into the refrigerator for more immediate use.
This method of making dandelion capers uses salt and vinegar to create a pickle that can be canned for long-term preservation or stored in the refrigerator for a few months.
Pickled Dandelion Capers
Ingredients
Instructions
To make fermented dandelion bud capers, all you need is a mason jar fermentation kit and a bit of salted water.
Dandelion capers in a wide mouth mason jar ready for traditional pickling.
Lacto-fermented Dandelion Capers
This version of dandelion capers uses a traditional lacto-fermentation technique and the end result is probiotic capers.
Ingredients
- 2 cups dandelion buds
- 1 cup water
- 2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Dissolve the salt in water and pour over the dandelion buds in a wide mouth mason jar.
- Seal with a mason jar fermentation kit and ferment at room temperature for 7 to 10 days. Test them at this point, and if you'd like them more pickled, continue the fermentation for a few more days.
- Once they're pickled to your liking, remove the fermentation kit and attach a standard lid. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 months (possibly longer). They'll continue to slowly pickle further in the refrigerator, just keep them below the water line to keep them from spoiling.
More Ways to Use Dandelions
Looking for more fun ways to use dandelions? Try any of these:
- 30+ Ways to Use Dandelions for Food and Medicine
- Dandelion Wine
- Dandelion & Honey Ice Cream
- Dandelion Root Coffee
- How to Cook Dandelion Roots
- Dandelion Tincture
- Dandelion & Burdock Herbal Bitters
ellen
in wich month can you start picking the buds?
Ashley Adamant
It really depends on where you live. Up here in the north country, dandelions don’t bloom until late April or early May. Further south, they’re budding in January and February. As soon as you see the first flower, there are plenty of buds to be found.
Susannah
So awesome! And I love that you get the kids in on the foraging!
donna
Another thing you could use are the seed pods from nasturtiums!
James
Oh my! I absolutely love this idea – so creative, thanks for sharing. I absolutely love to use dandelions whenever I get a good chance. These awesome plants aren’t just versatile and delicious, but an excellent source of nutrients and even have medicinal benefits.
Come Spring in the UK, I’ll be sure to try lacto-fermenting some “dandelion capers” 🙂
Great post,
James
Steph
Quick question: When using the first method (without a canner), do they need to chill in the fridge for a certain amount of time before being used?
Ashley Adamant
yes, just like fridge pickles they need a bit of time to “pickle” in the fridge before they take on flavor. Usually, 1-2 weeks is about right for pickles, but since these are smaller they might be ready earlier.
Steph
Thank you!
Vivianne
You are a woman after my own heart. When my neighbour said to me that I’d better get rid of those dandelions, I replied that I was eating them as fast as I could, much to his amusement/horror. I’m looking forward to seeing how the dandelion capers turn out and my next project is dandelion/nettle ‘spanikopita’.
Mark
“Eating as fast as I could!”
That’s pretty funny!
🙂
Charlotte
Haha that made my day
Patricia A Habbyshaw
Gosh !!! I would surely Love your recipe for dandelion/nettle ‘spanakopita’…That sound Lovely !!! TIA
Sylvia
Brilliant. I’m way too late to try this out this year, but next year I’m 100% making lacto-fermented dandelion capers. Thank you so much for the terrific idea!
Admin
You’re welcome! I hope you enjoy it next year!
asdf
How do they taste?
Admin
Like traditional capers! Except better because they’re homemade!
Susan kamenka
I just have to tell you how happy I am that I found your site. You have inspired me so much to get back into my herbalism….I Thank you!, Kindest Regards, Susan
Ashley Adamant
Wonderful, glad you found it helpful!
Julie
I did my first trial batch today! Planning on chicken piccata soon!
Administrator
Sounds yummy!
Christine
Hi there, I’m just wondering if I should let the brine cool before pouring on the capers and capping them? Thanks for the recipe!
Administrator
Nope, there is no need to let it cool. As long as you have a canning safe jar, you should be just fine.
Lorraine
So what does everyone do with them?
Administrator
If you aren’t familiar with using capers, I would suggest doing a quick internet search for “recipes using capers” and you will get a ton of ideas.
GAIA
Is there a distinct difference in flavor between the two pickling methods?
Administrator
The flavor will definitely be different depending on the method that you choose. Some prefer the vinegar pickling and others prefer the fermentation process. The best way to find out is to try them both out and see which one you like best.
Mary Himmelsbach
Loved your response to dandelion hating neighbor: I’m eating them as fast as I can.”
K Mann
Can you reuse dill pickle brine, heat it and pour it over the buds, seal and make capers that way?
Administrator
If you are planning to keep them in the fridge, that’s totally fine but I wouldn’t do that if you’re wanting to can them.
Carol A Hanson
If you’re like me and have trouble with certain ferments, you can try “pickling” them with kombucha (especially homemade, if you have it). You get the probiotics but with less risk of the ferment not turning out. Just use a weight to keep them under the booch, and add salt and/or other herbs, as you wish. I have a tiny batch going now. I’ll let you know!
Administrator
This sounds like a very interesting approach. Thanks for sharing. Definitely keep us posted.
Patricia A Habbyshaw
I’m So Excited to try this !!! And it’s the perfect time of year to get foraging here in NE Ohio !
Thank You ! I’m going to try the Pickling process as I would like to use them in my salads and cook with them !
Administrator
You’re very welcome. Let us know how they turn out.
Wendy
Are the leaves ready for tea when I pick buds for capers ?
Administrator
Yes, you can pick leaves at that time also.