A Swedish Caper

I've been in Sweden for the past two weeks getting to grips with the many ways to preserve a raw fish. I should have winged my way back to Bodrum yesterday but plans changed and I'm still in the land of the Volvo. I was very organized this trip and, expecting a lack of internet access, lined up my blogs to be published while I was away. This one is off the cuff so excuse the editing. I've gone through several bottles of capers while preparing my Swedish fish dishes and it struck me as odd that we don't use capers in Turkish cooking. Especially strange because they grow in the hills behind my house. The caper is the bud of the very pretty flower below. Once the flowers have finished berries form, these are also becoming popular as a flavouring. Neither buds nor berries can be eaten raw. They have to be treated like olives and soaked in several changes of water before being packed in salt or bottled in brine. I'm keen to get home to try my hand at caper preservation. I'd also like to see some serious sunshine. It's rained every day so far. I now realise that when you see a beautiful golden skinned Swede, it's not a tan it's rust.