Herb & Spice Companion

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(Text)

COMMON KITCHEN SPICES

• 197 –

PEPPER

Piper nigrum

Flavors: black pungent, hot, sharp;

white pungent, fiery, and sharp,

with slight sweetness; green

fresh, pungent, and hot; red fresh

and sweet

One of the most coveted spices since ancient times, pepper is still the world’s num-

ber one seasoning. Grown on a tropical flowering vine, peppercorns are actually the

plant’s fruit, or berries, and they’re harvested at different times to produce black,

white, green, and red varieties.

Peppercorns turn bright green when full-grown and bright red when ripe. Unripe

green berries are harvested and dried outdoors, where they adopt the familiar black,

wrinkled appearance and pungent flavor of black peppercorns. The variety sold as

green peppercorns is either freeze-dried or preserved in brine to retain their green

color and distinct hot flavor. They can also be dried after heating in boiling water for

20 minutes.

For white peppercorns, the berries

are picked later, as they’re ripening from

yellow to red; after harvesting, the outer

coating is removed to reveal the white

kernel inside, which has less aroma but

sharper flavor. Ripe red peppercorns

offer the sweetest flavor, most like a

fruit but with a little hot-pepper kick;

they’re preserved in brine.

In the Garden

Pepper vines are perennials that love the hot, rainy climates of India and Southeast

Asia. It’s not impossible to grow pepper in subtropical regions, like the southern United

States, but a greenhouse environment would be better than attempting to grow it

outdoors year-round. However, it’ll grow successfully as a container plant if brought

HEALTH BENEFITS

Black pepper helps stimulate healthy

digestion, urination, and sweating, all

functions that aid in detoxification. Its

biting heat can clear out congestion

and improve symptoms of the

common cold, making it the perfect

seasoning for good ol’ chicken soup.

Job:07-61264 Title:RacePoint - Herb and Spice Companion
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Job:07-61264 Title:RacePoint - Herb and Spice Companion

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