Salt-packed capers

As mentioned, I live in Gargnano on Lake Garda, with famous olive oil, lemons and many caper plants. These small produce add distinctive flavour, less famous than Pantelleria capers but equally good.
Capparis spinosa is the scientific name. A small branched shrub with trailing growth, whose buds are capers and fruits are cucunci. Both are preserved in salt, oil or vinegar; leaves are also preserved nowadays.
They grow spontaneously in stone walls with large roots and dense foliage, including in my garden., and can be seen emerging from stone walls around villages.First leaves appear in May; harvesting runs from June to September.
Growth thickens, with long branches bearing small thorns.

Unpicked capers produce beautiful flowers.
Harvesting is slow and needs patience, picking individually without getting pricked.
My parents used to gather them every evening at sunset. Now I pick a small amount each evening so they do not grow too large; small capers are firmer and tastier. I weigh into a bowl and add coarse salt:
13 g coarse salt per 100 g capers, my recipe.
Leave several days, turning often until dry and no longer releasing water. I then store in an airtight glass jar; they keep up to two years.I also prepare an oil and vinegar marinade and store in jars; see Capers in Oil on the blog.