CapersBowl

A few days ago I posted a recipe for dried plantain chips, where I mentioned that I’d be posting a couple easy trail food items before sharing the full-meal recipes from the backpack trip I prepared for last week. Here’s an item that makes my taste buds really happy. It’s a strange food to some – and one I’ve never liked until recently: Dried capers!

CapersHandI have always disliked these strange, green little units. Go figure, but after trying a friend’s recipe for olive-caper tapenade, I suddenly think capers are the bee’s knees! I’d never seen dried capers, so I decided to throw some on a dehydrator tray during one of my marathon drying days, to see how they’d turn out. Let me tell you, dried capers pack a delicious punch! Why capers? It’s always nice to have some surprises in the food bag (and…the trickster in me wants to convince someone that a squirrel pooped in their gorp… I’m just like that)! Capers are salty, pungent, full of personality. They’d be great in a savory gorp that wants to be salty (not sweet) or sprinkled sparingly over a dish that can stand up to strong flavors. I like to eat them plain, too.

If you want to spice up your trail snack bag, dry some capers and enjoy them on your next outdoor adventure!

How To

  • Spread a jar of capers out on a dehydrator tray (or a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, if using an oven).
  • Make them one layer and leave some air space – not stacked or overlapped.
  • Dry at 125 F for about 6 hours, rolling them around occasionally, and they will shrink down to less than a quarter of their original bulk.
  • Cool completely before packaging in an airtight container. If condensation appears in container after sealing, they are not totally dry; if so, dehydrate for another hour.
  • Store in a cool, dry place, preferably in the dark.

Check out the image below: the capers on the left had the same volume as the capers on the right before drying!

Capers in Jars