Are Green Peppercorns the Same as Capers?

In cooking both green peppercorns and capers are considered substitutes for each other. Both indeed have some similarities yet some big differences too. If you analyze the features and taste of both spices, then you’ll understand if they can replace each other.

Then, are green peppercorns the same as capers?

Green peppercorns and capers are quite alike but not the same thing. Capers are generally saltier because they’re soaked in vinegar or salt water. Whereas, green peppercorns are a dried fruit derived from the pepper family and have a mild taste. Both may look similar, but if you want to use them as substitutes in cooking, they won’t bring out a similar result.

Therefore, to examine green peppercorns and capers, we’ll discuss features and whether replacing them is a good idea. Let’s get into it!

Just like white and black peppercorns, the green peppercorn is also a member of the Piper Nigrum plant. Green peppercorns are collected before they completely ripen and then they’re preserved.

Freeze-drying or Air-drying is used, but the most common method is using brine. If we talk about flavor, green peppercorns have a milder taste than black peppercorns but are almost similar. With some piney notes, they are slightly bitter.

Caper comes from a different family plant named Caper Bush or Capparis Spinosa. Unlike a fruit like green peppercorns, they’re unopened flower buds. Capers are extremely bitter when they’re freshly picked.

That’s why brine or vinegar is used to preserve them plus it makes the capers taste more bearable. For being in brine, capers will have a similar tangy flavor to green peppercorns, but the peppery note won’t be there. Therefore, the answer to your question is No! They’re completely different.

What Are the Differences Between Green Peppercorns And Capers?

If we’ve to discuss capers vs peppercorns, let’s see the differences in details-

Characteristics	Green Peppercorns	Capers
Plants	Green peppercorns are a fruit derived from the pepper family Piper Nigrum.	Capers are unopened flower buds from the Cappris Spinosa family.
Preserve Method	Green peppercorns are air-dried or freeze-dried. Most often, they’re preserved in brine.	Capers are preserved in brine or vinegar.
Flavor	Green peppercorns have a milder flavor than black peppercorns. When they’re preserved in brine, they get a salty and tangy flavor with the piney and pepper note. They’re rather spicy.	Capers are highly bitter when fresh. However, when they’re preserved in brine or vinegar, they become tangy and salty. They don’t match the spicy and piney taste of green peppercorns. They’re simply tangy and have a lemon flavor.
Texture	Green peppercorns are small and have a slightly crunchy texture.	Capers appear small, soft, and crunchy inside. It’s the same color as green peppercorns.

1. They’re from Different Plants

Green peppercorns are technically a fruit that’s collected before fully ripen. It’s a member of the pepper plant. Unlike them, capers are unopened flower buds from Capparis Spinosa.

2. Flavor

After collecting the green peppercorns, they’re preserved in brine, freeze-dried or air-dried. These peppercorns have a milder taste than the black ones, but the piney flavor with slight bitterness is still there. For being in brine, they taste a bit salty too.

On the other hand, freshly collected capers taste extremely bitter. However, when preserved in brine or salt water, they get tastier and tangier. For being preserved similarly, they taste a bit alike but in capers, the piney and peppery flavor isn’t present.

3. Texture

Both green peppercorns and capers have similar textures. They are small, and soft with a slightly crunchy texture. They’re almost the same in color and size, so people won’t be able to differentiate what you’re using. However, some people can still notice the difference in taste.

For easier comprehension, let’s see this table with facts-

Can You Substitute Capers for Green Peppercorn?

We’ve already discussed the flavor and tastes in detail. By being preserved in the same way, both have the flavor of tangy or salty. This can mean that they both can be used in similar manners in dishes.

However, the catch is though they’ve similar tangy and salty flavors, green peppercorns have a spicy and pine tone, which is missing in capers. Green peppercorns are spicier than capers.

So, in the question of whether can I use capers instead of green peppercorns? The answer will be that even though you can use capers as a substitute for green peppercorns, you won’t get the desired taste.

Can You Substitute Green Peppercorn for Capers?

It’s not like you can substitute green peppercorns with capers, but the taste will be different. Green peppercorns are spicier than capers. Though both have similar flavor notes of tanginess and saltiness, the piney note with spiciness is different.

You can substitute green peppercorns with black or white peppercorns. Green peppercorns are milder in taste than black peppercorns but serve almost the same result. However, if you use capers instead of green peppercorns, you won’t get the spicy and piney flavor from your dish.

When to Use Capers And When to Use Green Peppercorn?

While you can use both as substitutes, some dishes require a specific spice for the best taste.

Green Peppercorns

If you need to make a cream sauce for steak or pate, then you should use green peppercorns. In this curry or stir fry, you can use green peppercorns for the desired and best taste. Green peppercorns are used in Asian Cuisines.

Capers

Capers go best with dishes like salads, smoked salmon, remoulade sauce, tartar sauce, citrus, tomato, fish, eggplant, pasta, etc.

Final Verdict

Everyone has different taste buds, so you can experiment with the dishes using spices in interchangeable ways. See which one tastes better for you. All the differences shown in the article are just subjective, our taste buds don’t listen to subjective stuff. So, you have the full freedom to use any of the green peppercorns for capers in your dishes interchangeably. Happy cooking!

Are Green Peppercorns the Same as Capers? – It’s No More a Confusion