Capers are the pickled flower buds of a Mediterranean shrub, and caperberries are the fruit that follows — briny, floral, essential to puttanesca, piccata, and a good tuna salad. They don't grow commercially in the US, so every jar is imported; the difference is buying single-estate, salt-packed buds from small importers instead of the conglomerate jar. Salt-packed beats brined almost every time.
Published July 2026 · Updated 7 Jul 2026
Gustiamo has imported salt-cured capers and caperberries from La Nicchia, a single estate on the Italian island of Pantelleria, since 2000. Hand-picked by islanders and packed in Trapani sea salt, the rare spinosa variety, with the meaty texture and floral flavor that only IGP Pantelleria capers have. The reference standard.
Why it isn't on AmazonSalt-packed, single-estate Pantelleria capers keep a dense, floral character that the vinegar-brined supermarket jar washes right out — and you can trace them to one island.
See it at Gustiamo (La Nicchia, Pantelleria) →A small Italian-food importer bringing in salted capers of Pantelleria, sea-salt cured in the traditional way. Another traceable route to real salt-packed Pantelleria buds rather than a mass brine.
Why it isn't on AmazonTraditional salt-packing from a named island source is a small-importer specialty; big brands default to cheap vinegar brine that flattens the flavor.
See it at Giannetti Artisans →Mina sources non-pareil capers and stemmed caperberries from Morocco, one of the world's top caper regions, packed simply with water, vinegar, and sea salt and nothing else. Ships direct in two days. A clean, honest brined option and an easy everyday jar.
Why it isn't on AmazonAdditive-free Moroccan capers from a focused single brand beat the preservative-heavy commodity jar — and Morocco grows some of the world's best.
See it at Mina →Ishka Farms grows certified-organic capers and caperberries on one farm and hand-harvests, cures, and packs them on site, shipping within the lower 48. A rare case where the caper is traceable to a single organic farm rather than a blended commodity lot.
Why it isn't on AmazonCertified-organic capers from a single, traceable farm are almost unheard of — most capers are a blended commodity with no farm attached.
See it at Ishka Farms →This seat's open on purpose — we won't pad the list to hit a number. If you ship real capers & caperberries direct, it's earned, not sold.
Add your brand →Capers are the unopened flower buds of the caper shrub, picked small and pickled — the little peppercorn-sized ones. Caperberries are the fruit that forms if the flower is left to develop, so they're larger (olive-sized), usually sold with the stem on, and milder. Capers go into sauces; caperberries are great on a plate or in a martini.
Salt-packed capers keep more of their firm texture and floral, complex flavor; you rinse (and sometimes soak) them before using. Brined capers are more convenient and tangier from the vinegar, but softer and one-note. For cooking where the caper matters, salt-packed is worth the extra step. For a quick tuna salad, brined is fine.
Essentially no — there's no meaningful commercial caper farming in the US, though the bush can grow in coastal California and researchers have trialed it. The plant is finicky and harvest is labor-intensive. That's why every good caper is imported, mainly from Italy (Pantelleria and Sicily), Spain, Morocco, and a few specialty farms elsewhere.
Non-pareil refers to the smallest, most prized capers (roughly 7mm or under), which are tender and considered the best. Pantelleria is a small Italian island whose capers carry IGP protected-origin status and a distinctive floral, meaty quality — the caper world's benchmark. Both terms signal quality, though they mean different things (size versus origin).
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