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Peppercorns would be the natural type of our common table pepper that is on average paired with salt. Black pepper spice comes from a different type of pepper compared to green, red, yellow, orange or purple ones you might eat in a stir-fry dinner or stuffed with rice. The sort of pepper that people eat as a vegetable comes from Capsicum annuum, a plant native to tropical America. A perennial woody vine, Piper nigrum, native to India, producespeppercorns.

Piper nigrum is cultivated where individual plants are permitted to vine their way up trellises, vertical poles or trees. Other vegetation within 6 to 8 feet of the vine is removed to reduce competition for nutrients, shade or sunlight, and air circulation. If the plant matures it will form a long cluster of small green fruits. The quarter-inch in diameter green berries change to yellow and to red when ripe. The older the vine, the longer the cluster of green berries. Plants can be in production for 20 years. Propagation is typically completed with cuttings as Piper nigrum will readily root at the leaf nodes where in actuality the vine is allowed to touch the ground.

The whole cluster of berries is harvested whenever a couple of the berries are ripening and turning red. The clusters of berries are dried in the sun where they turn black. Upon drying the once smooth surface of the peppercorns shrinks to make a rough, wrinkly surface. At this time the black peppercorns are often stripped from the cluster.

Black pepper could be the most widely used spice on earth. It makes up about one-fifth of the world's spice trade. It's utilized in its whole form or ground to add heat and spice to many dishes. Piperine is the main component in black pepper that's accountable for the heat. Foods that use pepper include dressings, egg dishes, fish, seafood, gravies, meat dishes, poultry, pickles, salads, sauces, relishes, soups and vegetables dishes.

Green, black or white green peppercorns will be the berries of Piper nigrum, while pink or red peppercorns would be the dried berries of a different plant, Schinus terebinthifolius. Green peppercorns are immature berries which are often preserved in vinegar or brine and kept in jars of the liquid. Black peppercorns will be the dried berries and white peppercorns are a number of the black ones that have had the outer coating removed. White pepper tastes less pungent or less peppery than black pepper. White pepper might be used more for its light color than the more subtle flavor.