Salina capers are characterized by compactness, fragrance and uniformity. The first of these factors is particularly important: a compact bud, in fact, is a guarantee of durability. Also of note is the almost total absence of treatment with pesticides or synthetic chemical fertilizers, a guarantee of absolute healthiness of the product. Used in Sicilian cuisine in various preparations to give character to the dish, capers go well with a simple tomato and basil sauce, the classic caponata, and fish dishes. Cultivation difficulties and production costs due mainly to labor for harvesting have led to a very sharp decline in attention to caper cultivation.
Salina capers are characterized by compactness, fragrance and uniformity. The first of these factors is particularly important: a compact bud, in fact, is a guarantee of durability. Also of note is the almost total absence of treatment with pesticides or synthetic chemical fertilizers, a guarantee of absolute healthiness of the product. Used in Sicilian cuisine in various preparations to give character to the dish, capers go well with a simple tomato and basil sauce, the classic caponata, and fish dishes. Cultivation difficulties and production costs due mainly to labor for harvesting have led to a very sharp decline in attention to caper cultivation. There is no serious possibility of mechanization of harvesting operations, which are still carried out manually and are very tiring due to the particular conformation of the plant. The rusticity of the species, its frequent but not rational diffusion, and the rarity of specific plantings, means that the product, although highly appreciated in terms of quality, runs serious risks of abandonment. Only promotion and collaboration with all producers, often linked to a few plants in a promiscuous condition, seems to be able to revitalize a product that for cultivation tradition, island landscape and peasant culture best expresses the connotations of this extraordinary territory.