Pepper makes its way into just about every dish that passes through the kitchen so make sure you're using good quality pepper. After all, the good stuff doesn't cost more than lesser pepper.
You don't use pre-ground black pepper, do you?
Best Black Peppercorns
Ground black pepper really isn't worth buying. "Once the hard, black shell of the pepper corn is cracked open, its aroma immediately stars to fade, and most of its flavor and scent disappear within a half hour," explains the new November/December issue of Cook's Illustrated.
Instead buy good quality peppercorns and grid them right when you need pepper. Here's the top three black pepper brands recommended by the Cook's Illustrated tasting panel:
• Kalustyan's Indian Tellicherry Black Peppercorns, $6.99 for a 2.5 ounce jar
• Morton And Bassett Organic Whole Black Peppercorns, $5.39 for 2-ounce jar
• Zingerman's Tellicherry Peppercorns, $8 for a 2.53 ounce jar.
For those looking for super-special pepper, Cook's Illustrated gives a shout-out to Parameswaran's Special Wynad Estate Peppercorns. This higher-priced pepper is hand-picked from a single estate.
We were surprised that some of the tasters didn't like the Penzey's peppercorns we usually use at home. They complained that the Penzey's peppercorns carried heat, but not much flavor. So now we're wondering if we should change? What brand of peppercorns fill the pepper mill in your kitchen?
More Pepper in Our Archive:
Best Product: Perfex Pepper Mill
Magnum Plus Means No More Peppercorns On The Floor
(Image: Zingermans)
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Ingredients - Pantry, Seasonings, pepper, Zingerman's, cook's illustrated, peppercorns, black pepperRelated Links
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i went on the mad hunt for inexpensive peppercorns here in nyc because my cute rabbit-eared pepper-grinder finally ran out of the red-white-black peppercorns it came with. here's what i found:
bed bath and beyond had a jar of red-white-black for $11.
crate and barrel had a jar of red-white-black for $10.
PEARL RIVER had a big bag of black-only peppercorns for $1.30
guess which one i went with?
think i can tell the difference in taste from the "good quality" ones? nope!
view kdkaboom's profile
I get them in bulk (like all my spices) at the health food store. Maybe the brand is Frontier? Can't really remember.
view Joan A.'s profile
Joan A. - Yes, Frontier is a wonderful bulk foods company and they supply many health food stores' bulk bins.
view Sara Kate's profile
Penzeys has 4 varieties of black peppercorns -- did they test all 4? (and then there are mixes, white, pink, and green)
(1 guess as to which pepper I buy!)
view mschatelaine's profile
The City Market in Kansas City has a spice guy who has one large scoop 3/4 C-1 C for $1! They are the tri-colored peppercorns, and I'm about out!
view sleggo's profile
I buy the no-name grocery store brand of black peppercorns. They're the same as the fancy tri coloured variety. They all taste like pepper.
I think the best thing about pepper is grinding it fresh. Pre-ground pepper is only to fill my salt and pepper shaker collection. But the grinder is always on the table/stove instead.
Mmm pepper...
view revolution9's profile
I'm a heathen. I use pre-ground black pepper. Even worse, I don't own a pepper mill!
Well... that's not really true. I do have the Trader Joe's peppercorns in their own plastic pepper mill which I also use.
But yes, I have the pre-ground stuff. Sorry, but its really cheap at the Hong Kong Supermarket in Flushing and IOG in Fresh Meadows.
view Plaid Ninja's profile
local health food co-op bulk spice section (Joan A. guessed right, the brand is Frontier). I buy all my herbs and spices in bulk. They are much fresher and significantly cheaper that way.
Anything I store in a grinder like nutmeg or pepper comes home in a small paper bag from the store. I just bring the regular jars right to the store and fill them there, truly zero packaging waste.
view Niamh's profile
My sister gave me the 4-peppercorn blend from the Atlantic Spice company, and I love it! It's a really good price too.
http://www.atlanticspice.com/store/gourmet-spices-bulk,category.asp
view jamiealyse's profile
After all, the good stuff doesn't cost more than lesser pepper.
Huh? This sentence makes no sense to me. Maybe if someone uses very small quantities of pepper, the cost is spread out over a long period? Hmm.
Anyway, I am keen to try pepper from Pohnpei. When my parents lived in the North Pacific in the 1970's, this is what they would buy. It is much more expensive than "lesser pepper," but I couldn't say whether it is actually superior.
view graefix's profile
I can't taste a difference between fresh ground pepper from a mill and regular ground pepper.
view Aldyth's profile
I'm with Aldyth. I recently switched from iodized salt to sea salt as well, and I can't tell the difference in those either.
view madampince's profile