Let's talk black pepper

[wagdog]

I love black pepper, you know, the kind you find in table shakers and small packets at fast food places. I put it on pretty much everything and I use a lot of it.

I've never been a food snob, especially when it comes to salt and pepper.

Maybe I'm missing something? Is the pepper in those pepper grinder things better? Is there a type of black pepper I might enjoy more?

 

[Help!I'maRock!]

Get a grinder and buy peppercorns. Your pepper will be more peppery.

 

[gtrjunior]

I don't know if it better per se, but it's what my wife buys(the grinder type) and we like it. I feel like the individual grains are slightly larger, which I like.

 

[VoidTerraFirma]

Pepper straight from the grinder is definitely more pungent. Powdered jalapeños are fun too.

 

[Coralkong]

Pepper comes in a couple of different flavors/colors. Green, white, black, and I think there even are pink peppercorns.

Black pepper in a grinder is MUCH fresher and stronger/flavorful than the crap you get in a packet.

I also put black pepper on just about everything, so I speak from experience......get a grinder, some corns, and give it a shot.
You won't be sorry.

 

[rhino]

Life's too short to eat in the truck, use cheap toilet paper, and not have a pepper grinder.

 

[Lerxst]

FWIW those green, white and black peppercorns are actually the same fruit, kinda like grapes and raisins.

Pepper straight from the grinder is definitely more pungent..

The flavor and aroma of fresh cracked/ground pepper is different due largely to the oxidation that ground pepper undergoes....you lose those volatile aromatics and such in a relatively short time.

Powdered jalapeños are fun too

powdered smoked habs and powdered ghost pepper is great too. I also have a stash of a bunch of different dried super hots that I grind up in a coffee mill for a take on crushed red pepper that's killer.




But yeah, fresh ground pepper is a staple in my house. I'll used canned ground pepper for base flavoring some cooking where you're going to lose the benefit of fresh but I'll always finish a dish with fresh and that's whats on the table for individual seasoning.

If you buy a peppermill, don't buy a shitty one. Get a decent one and it'll last a couple lifetimes. I have a Vic Firth mill (which are now sold as Fletchers, iirc) that is bombproof.

 

[wagdog]

Thanks folks. Looks like I need to pick up a grinder.

Is it pretty much a try-it-and-see thing, or are there brands of peppercorns that are best?

 

[Lerxst]

Thanks folks. Looks like I need to pick up a grinder.

Is it pretty much a try-it-and-see thing, or are there brands of peppercorns that are best?

IDK about one brand of black peppercorns being any better than another but I usually grab the large bags in the indian or hispanic spice section of my grocery store; quality product and dirt cheap, especially compared to the jars in the baking/spice aisle.

 

[GDSmithTX]

I use these: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00D6EHHIU/ref=sxr_rr_xsim1_a_it

I bought my last bag in Sept of 2015 (I know that because Amazon told me) and I still have 1/3 bag left. And I put pepper on everything.

 

[Coralkong]

Thanks folks. Looks like I need to pick up a grinder.

Is it pretty much a try-it-and-see thing, or are there brands of peppercorns that are best?

I'm sure there are better/gourmet peppercorns for sale out there.

If you just want to try a cheap alternative and see if you dig it, they sell a plastic grinder full of corns in the supermarket for a couple of bucks (Probably $2 or $3 more than just a plain canister of pre-crushed black pepper.)

That's not going to be as good as the GOOD peppercorns and a GOOD grinder, but you'll see what you're missing.

 

[dodgechargerfan]

If you buy a peppermill, don't buy a shitty one. Get a decent one and it'll last a couple lifetimes. I have a Vic Firth mill (which are now sold as Fletchers, iirc) that is bombproof.

Sooooo true!

I bought a Cole & Mason set a couple of years ago and it is the best grinder I've ever had.
I actually avoided peppercorns for a while because the grinders I've had in the past just pissed me off so much I just couldn't be bothered.
Noe, I put that shit on everything!

 

[dodgechargerfan]

I'm sure there are better/gourmet peppercorns for sale out there.

If you just want to try a cheap alternative and see if you dig it, they sell a plastic grinder full of corns in the supermarket for a couple of bucks (Probably $2 or $3 more than just a plain canister of pre-crushed black pepper.)

That's not going to be as good as the GOOD peppercorns and a GOOD grinder, but you'll see what you're missing.

This is true too. A good inexpensive way to see if it matters to you.

 

[jp_nyc]

There are even two varieties of black pepper—malabar and tellicherry. Malabar has more flavor, tellicherry is hotter. Indian grocers in NYC are the only place I've ever seen the varieties sold separately.

White pepper is easy to find and underappreciated. It has a mild flavor that goes well with eggs and fish.

 

[DdBob]

Pepper comes in a couple of different flavors/colors. Green, white, black, and I think there even are pink peppercorns.

Black pepper in a grinder is MUCH fresher and stronger/flavorful than the crap you get in a packet.

I also put black pepper on just about everything, so I speak from experience......get a grinder, some corns, and give it a shot.
You won't be sorry.

this plus you can have differnt grinds which in itself will vary the strength or "attac" of the pepper....also I got some pink Himalayian salt recently...just wanna throw that out there *spits*

 

[ermghoti]

I've been a grinder forever. The whole peppercorns are generally cheaper, and since the flavor is stronger, you use less, so win/win. My grinder is pretty much infinitely adjustable, so you don't have to stock different levels of coarseness.

 

[FenderPusher]

I put fresh ground black pepper on everything. Speaking of, my wife just bought me this, adds a nice smoky heat:

 

[Kerouac]

Costco has some really good sea salt and whole black pepper grinders that last for awhile and let you adjust the grind size. I love them, because I put pepper on EVERYTHING. I made pizza for lunch... put pepper on it.

I really like white pepper too, although I buy it pre-ground. Green peppercorn has a very spicy flavor to it that I use in place of chiles.

 

[mongooz]

this thread reminds me that it's about time to buy a new grinder. i've been using the plastic ones, that you can refill. but after about 6 months the "grinder" teeth wear out and you have to get a new one. maybe i'll get another wood one with steel grinding teeth.

 

[FenderPusher]

this thread reminds me that it's about time to buy a new grinder. i've been using the plastic ones, that you can refill. but after about 6 months the "grinder" teeth wear out and you have to get a new one. maybe i'll get another wood one with steel grinding teeth.

We bought a combo salt/pepper grinder from BB&B for $20, I think it has ceramic teeth on one side and steel on the other, supposed to last a long time but we'll see... Has worked fine for about a year and a half now.