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Aldi Recalls Capers

For reasons of preventive consumer protection, the manufacturer “CLAMA GmbH & Co. KG” is recalling its “Caper capucines” sold by Aldi-Nord. The reason for this is splinters of glass in a product.

Product recall

The “Capers capucines” sold by Aldi-Nord in 100-gram jars and with the following labels are affected by the product recall:

  • Best before date: 08/20/2018
  • Batch number: F/240-1

Customers who have already purchased this product are asked not to consume it under any circumstances and to bring it back to the store. As the press release goes on to say, the purchase price will be refunded.

Shards of glass found

Glass splinters were found in an article in the “Kapern capucines”. The corresponding products have already been withdrawn from sale.

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Food

Original Konigsberger Meatballs with Capers

Who doesn’t know them, the East Prussian meatballs, or at least have heard of them? Skilfully prepared, Königsberger Klopse offers a culinary delight that hardly anyone can resist. Here is an original East Prussian recipe from my grandmother.

Ingredients for 4 persons

  • 500 gr. Minced half/half
  • 1 cup breadcrumbs
  • 1 onion
  • 2 egg yolks
  • Salt pepper

  • Bay leaf
  • flour
  • lemon juice or lemon extract
  • sugar or diet sweetness
  • 1 jar of capers
  • 1 can of canned milk or cream

Preparation of the Königsberger Klopse

A pound of mince is mixed with a cup of breadcrumbs, chopped onion, and two egg yolks, optionally with a little pepper. Everything is kneaded together well into a dough-like mass, from which the meatballs are formed – in any size, because some people like it powerful and big, while others prefer the more delicate “balls”.

Then the pre-formed meatballs, together with a bay leaf, are pushed into boiling water, where they simmer (not boil) until they bob on the surface and float in front of you.

As soon as the meatballs float to the surface, they are removed from their hot broth with a ladle and stored on this side of the pot. The hot brew in the pot, after it has been sieved and freed from the remains of minced meat, is then mixed with flour and canned milk to form a smooth mass. Now the sauce is seasoned with lemon extract and sugar, optionally with dietary sweeteners. A pinch of salt can also be added if necessary. Last but not least follow the well-known and sometimes hated capers, which absolutely have to refine the sauce!

The sauce gets its typically sweet and sour note by seasoning it with lemon and sugar. In the end, the outsourced Königsberger dumplings find a company in the prepared sauce.

Useful additional knowledge about the Königsberger Klopsen

The next day, i.e. after a day in the closed pot, the meatballs taste the most intense! Potatoes and green beans, which find their true taste when mixed with the sauce, are often added to this!

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Food

Capers: Delicious Bud With Healing Properties?

Anyone who likes capers appreciates their piquant taste, which is created by fermentation. In addition, they are considered healthy – as long as no germs spread…

What exactly are capers and caper apples?

Most people only know capers pickled in salt or brine in a jar. If you pass one of the thorny caper bushes on a journey through the Mediterranean region, you may not recognize the capers: They are the closed flower buds of the “true caper bush”. Its flowers are white-violet and smell like capers as we know them. Capers, on the other hand, are the fruit that develops when the buds are not harvested.

The raw buds are comparable to freshly picked olives: they are bitter and inedible. Only when the capers ferment in brine or vinegar are the bitter substances broken down by microorganisms. The capers are then pickled or salted in vinegar or oil.

Enterococci in capers: helpers with hooks

Mustard oils are responsible for the savory taste of capers – capers and cabbage are closely related. Capers also contain other secondary plant substances: They are among the foods that are particularly rich in quercetin, as are apples and onions.

According to current knowledge, the secondary plant substances have a health-promoting effect on human metabolic processes: According to the German Society for Nutrition, studies suggest that they can protect against cancer and cardiovascular diseases.

However, capers are only healthy if no germs such as enterococci end up on the plate with them. The none can get into the glasses due to lack of hygiene.

The lactic acid bacteria enterococci have a fundamentally important function in fermentation and maturation processes: They not only give foods such as capers, cheese or raw sausages their desired taste, but are also important for a healthy intestinal flora. Fermentation is therefore a common way in many cultures to preserve food and – as has now been scientifically proven – to improve health. However, only as long as poor hygienic conditions do not lead to food being contaminated with undesirable strains of enterococci. These can cause infections in immunocompromised people.

Caper buds as a cooking ingredient

In southern Europe, caper apples are known as tapas or as a side dish, in this country the caper buds are used as a spice with a fine acidity. The rule of thumb with them is: the smaller, the better, the more expensive. You can also find different sizes in grocery stores. The smallest are called “Nonpareilles” in French.

Well-known kitchen classics with capers are:

Meatballs
Vitello tonnato
Beef tartare
chicken fricassee
Spaghetti alla puttanesca
Tips for preparing capers:

To prepare: taste some capers to check their intensity. Vinegar and salt could spoil your dish. If the taste is too strong for you, you can wash the capers, squeeze them out lightly or cut them into small pieces. You should definitely soak salted capers first.
For hot dishes: Do not cook the capers, but add them at the end, otherwise the aroma will be lost.

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