white pepper

[pc farmer]

I just heard about white pepper.

How is it different from black?

 

[forluvofsmoke]

White pepper is the fully ripened peppercorn berry, which is then stripped of it's hull before drying. Black pepper is from the same peppercorn, less ripened before harvesting, and when dried it causes the skin of the berry to blacken. Black peppercorns are left with the skin of the berry intact, while white pepper has no skin after it is ready for use.

White pepper has a milder and smoother flavor than black, as the boldness and sharp bite in the black peppercorn's flavor comes from the hull/skin of the berry itself. White pepper does not have the skin of the berry, so lacks the flavor of the skin. White pepper is most commonly used for chowders and soups, and white sauces, as it does not have as harsh of a flavor, and more specifically, it lacks the hit to the throat that is common with black pepper. It also gives a better presentation in soups and white sauces, not yielding the obvious black speckles when black pepper is used.

Eric

 

[daveomak]

White pepper goes well with salmon too..... pickled salmon, gravlax, lox, smoked salmon.... nice flavor that enhances the fish.....

 

[DanMcG]

Goes good to with many sausage recipes.

 

[zwiller]

My white pepper smells kinda off. Barnyard. Online opinions vary. Wonder if it might be a good idea to grab whole and grind myself. What do you guys think?

 

[Steve H]

Yup. Eric said it best.

 

[Steve H]

My white pepper smells kinda off. Barnyard. Online opinions vary. Wonder if it might be a good idea to grab whole and grind myself. What do you guys think?

I've done it before. Just make sure your grinder is uber clean so you won't end up with off color flakes from other things that were ground up in the past. Like most other spices. Freshly ground does have a better impact. Hmm, perhaps smoked white pepper is in my future.

 

[HalfSmoked]

Really pc farmer man do you live a sheltered life. We will have Chef jimmy J enlighten you at the gathering.

Warren

 

[siege]

White pepper is usually found in a much finer grind than black. The black and white mixed together add another layer of flavor in your brisket rub or everyday SPOG.

 

[zwiller]

Thanks Steve. In my case, the use is for german sausage. Stuff I used was not ancient and purchased recently.