Capers, hibiscus and another experiment

Sep 17, 2026

Someone in the Gobelo group chat mentioned capers and hibiscus. That was enough to get everyone talking.

It started with the usual simple question - could we grow them at Gobelo? We already spend quite a lot of time thinking about what else we can grow in our sandy soil, so naturally the conversation quickly shifted from “Could they grow here?” to “What could we do with them if they did?”

Turns out, capers are commonly used in cooking, but there is actually quite a lot we could explore with them at Gobelo. They can be pickled, used on cheese boards and sandwiches, added to pasta dishes, served with fish…endless uses. Someone even mentioned chicken piccata, which started another conversation about recipes we could try.

One person described them as being a little like small olives, although the flavour is quite different and they have their own uses. They can be added to appetisers, used to bring a tangy little burst of flavour to a dish and can even be added to salads. Capers also produce flowers that are edible, which opens up even more possibilities for using them in the kitchen.

The conversation soon changed to who we will serve this to, if we did actually grow them. We started thinking about whether capers could have a place at some of our conference and event setups. They could work nicely on breakfast and lunch stations, on cheese boards or as an interesting addition to salads and other dishes. If we can grow them ourselves, that makes the idea even more interesting.

Then someone brought up hibiscus. Not related at all, but this is how many of our conversations on things to do at the farm usually begin. Someone starts a conversation or comes up with an idea, and all of a sudden everyone gets inspired. It is a process that has worked well for us and has resulted in some of our most interesting experiments.

Hibiscus, apparently, is another plant that is just as versatile as the capers. It also has many possible uses and that is why it is now on our radar. We have been experimenting with different teas at Gobelo, looking at plants and ingredients that could eventually become part of our beverage offering. You will remember there has even been some discussion about avocado tea in the past…but that is probably a story for another day. Hibiscus tea is one we would particularly like to explore as well.

For now, we are interested in seeing whether hibiscus could become another useful addition to the farm. So far, we know it can be used to make a colourful, tart tea, and there are plenty of other food and drink possibilities worth experimenting with. As with everything we try at Gobelo though, the first question we need to answer is whether we can grow it successfully here. That means testing.

We have learned by now that something sounding like a good idea in the group chat does not necessarily mean the plant will agree with us, especially when you add our sandy soil and the weather into the equation. So capers and hibiscus are now on our growing list of things to investigate.

We will see what happens when we put them in the ground. For now, we are still coming up with new ideas in the group chat while deciding where exactly to plant these two.

Until next time,
    The Gobelo Team