Black pepper blooms with small white flowers collected in hanging ears. The fruits of black pepper are spherical drupes with a hard shell, having a burning taste.
The birthplace of black pepper is the southwest coast of India, the current state of Kerala. Previously, these lands were called the land of pepper, and pepper itself was called the Malabar berry.
How to Choose Black Pepper?
When choosing ground black pepper, you should pay attention to the taste and color of the grinding. Fresh seasoning is always sharp and has a strong aroma, as it contains a large amount of piperine and essential oils. The color of high-quality ground pepper is heterogeneous, it consists of particles of light brown, greenish and gray shades. A uniform yellow, gray or black color indicates a large amount of impurities that manufacturers sometimes add to reduce the cost of goods. The black color of ground pepper may also indicate the use of unripe or rotten peas.
How to Store Black Pepper?
Ground pepper is recommended to be stored in a dry and dark place, away from strongly smelling products. Essential oils evaporate especially quickly from the finely ground seasoning, therefore, so that it does not lose its taste qualities, it should be kept in a hermetically sealed container. The room temperature should not exceed +25 °C.
When to Use Black Pepper?
Black pepper is one of the most effective digestive stimulants. This versatile seasoning is able to decorate any dish, starting from ordinary scrambled eggs and ending with masterpieces of haute cuisine. Food manufacturers add this spice to meat and sausage products, cheeses, canned food and marinades.
Spice is a mandatory component of most recipes of meat and fish dishes. It is added to soups and second courses of beef, pork, lamb, chicken, and also used in the preparation of homemade sausage, ham and pates. Seasoning perfectly complements dishes of mushrooms and vegetables, no brine or marinade can do without it. Somewhat less often, black pepper is added to drinks and desserts.
How Much Black Pepper Should I Use?
A standard-sized teaspoon holds about 4 grams of ground black pepper.
When preparing soups and broths, ground pepper is added 10-15 minutes before the end of cooking. When cooking fried dishes, pieces of meat or fish are sprinkled with pepper and salt before roasting. Seasoning is added to the raw minced meat during the stirring process.
The amount of spice depends on the intended volume of the dish and personal preferences.
It is usually customary to use from ¼ to 1 teaspoon per 1 kg of meat. The maximum dose of ground black pepper per day per person should not exceed 5 grams.
What Spices are Combined with Black Pepper?
Despite the fact that in the mind of any person, the phrase “salt and pepper” evokes an image of perfect harmony, a truly wonderful combination is obtained by mixing ground black pepper with turmeric. Curcumin, which is part of it, is similar in its action to piperine — it is also an antiseptic, an antioxidant and an anti-inflammatory agent.
Black pepper is perfectly combined with most spices, and is part of all popular mixes. It harmonizes well with cumin, garlic, coriander, as well as with its closest “relatives” — white, green and pink pepper.
Alternatives to Black Pepper
With individual intolerance to ground black pepper, it can be replaced with spices that have a similar bitter taste — cumin, mustard, coriander seeds, nutmeg. To make the dishes spicy, in the absence of allergies, you can use chili — paprika, cayenne, jalapeno.
Tips for Using Black Pepper
In combination with cinnamon and ginger, ground black pepper is added to desserts to give them a spicy taste. It is especially appropriate for the preparation of gingerbread and cupcakes, chocolate desserts, pies with apple and citrus filling, cookies.
This spice will give a peculiar taste to well—known drinks – it is added to milk tea, compotes, mulled wine and alcoholic cocktails.
To create a light, spicy salad dressing, ground pepper is mixed in various combinations with natural yogurt, honey, mustard, vinegar or lemon juice.
I offer you a salad of chicken liver, eggs and vegetables with sweet and sour dressing with soy sauce, perfect for a picnic table, the arrival of guests or just for lunch or dinner at home.
Hot for all occasions, whether it’s a family dinner or a holiday. Beautiful and delicious, an abundance of vegetables and juicy meatballs. I recommend. P.S.: by the way, as an option to “reanimate” yesterday’s meatballs or cutlets.
I bought a wonderful goose at the market to make confit legs and wings. The skeleton put it on the broth for soup. But the breast! It deserves to become a separate dish, quite refined and beautiful. Goose, of course, need home. Those that are sometimes found in butcher shops are most often frozen and Packed so that you will never guess what you bought until you defrost it.
Chashushuli is a spicy and aromatic dish of Georgian cuisine. It is prepared with pepper, aromatic herbs and spices. Usually this dish is served without a side dish, with pita bread or tortillas, which are usually dipped in a rich chashushuli sauce. I suggest cooking this delicious meat dish with a little improvisation – with the addition of beer, which gives this dish a unique taste, soft and sharp at the same time.
A little bit of Thai cuisine, a little bit of home cooking and in the end it turned out just wonderful meat for an autumn family lunch or dinner. Late autumn! We eat solid food and of course-meat!
Very tasty, light and easy to prepare casserole, perfect for dinner or as a second course for lunch. The set of products is simple, and the result will please many, especially those who love vegetables baked in the oven.
Bright, hearty, healthy autumn soup for the whole family from lentils with turnips, vegetables and spices. It will warm you up on cold autumn days, replenish your body with all the useful substances and vitamins.
Tomatoes stuffed with minced meat with smoked cheese, delicious and beautiful. Even on a festive table, it will be useful, and it is prepared easily and simply. Recommend.
My weakness for liver and cabbage has opened up a new and unusual combination in a salad. I hope that there will be the same connoisseurs who will like this light and delicious salad.
