What Are Black peppercorns and How Can I Use Them?

Wondering what to do with black peppercorns? This guide covers how to pick them, cook them, store them, and swap them, plus 268 recipes to put them to work.

What are black peppercorns?

Black pepper is produced from the still-green unripe drupes of the pepper plant. The drupes are cooked briefly in hot water, both to clean them and to prepare them for drying. The heat ruptures cell walls in the pepper, speeding the work of browning enzymes during drying.

The drupes are dried in the sun or by machine for several days, during which the pepper around the seed shrinks and darkens into a thin, wrinkled black layer. Once dried, the spice is called black peppercorn. Black peppercorn is considered spicer than white peppercorn.

It is quite surprising that the use of pepper has come so much into fashion, seeing that in other substances which we use, it is sometimes their sweetness, and sometimes their appearance that has attracted our notice.

Pepper loses flavor and aroma through evaporation, so airtight storage helps preserve pepper's original spiciness longer. Pepper can also lose flavor when exposed to light, which can transform piperine into nearly tasteless. 

*Once ground, pepper's aromatics can evaporate quickly; most culinary sources recommend grinding whole peppercorns immediately before use for this reason.

Nutrition

Quick facts

Where to find black peppercorns: Black peppercorns are usually found in the spices section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.

Food group: Black peppercorns are a member of the Spices and Herbs US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.

In Chinese

黑胡椒

British (UK) term

Black peppercorns

en français

grains de poivre noir

en español

granos de pimienta negra

How much do black peppercorns weigh?

Related

Spices and Herbs

Recipes using black peppercorns

There are 268 recipes that contain this ingredient.

Adam's Chai Latte Ice Cream

My brother Adam loves this ice cream so much that I asked him for the recipe. It's a Chai Latte with chunks of gingerbread cookies hidden within.

Paneer Basmati Pilaf--Paneer Pulao

Paneer Pulao is a delightful and mildly aromatic Indian rice dish that combines basmati rice with paneer, which is a type of Indian cottage cheese.

Asian Salad Nicoise

This Nicoise Salad is a beautiful play off its French counterpart. It keeps the traditional string beans, potatoes, boiled eggs and tuna, but it adds an Asian inspired dressing that elevates this salad to the next level. By changing the usual white potatoes to sweet potatoes, it becomes a healthier version of the recipe. Sweet potatoes provide more vitamins and minerals than regular potatoes and they have fewer calories. Add in the Omega-3 benefits in the tuna, the protein of the eggs, and fibre-packed beans, and you have got a power packed lunch that tastes like a million dollars. This recipe will certainly be singing to your taste buds tuna.

Favourite Spiced Tea

Favourite spiced tea: a fragrant homemade chai blend of peppercorns, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, and ginger ground fresh, stirred into a pot of tea and served hot with milk and sugar.

Malabar Chicken Curry Recipe

Malabar chicken curry is a spicy and aromatic dish that hails from the Malabar region of India. This curry is made with a unique blend of spices that include cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and fennel, which gives it a distinctive taste and aroma. The tender chicken pieces are simmered in a rich and flavorful coconut milk-based gravy, making it a perfect dish for any occasion. The curry can be adjusted to your preferred level of spiciness, making it versatile for all tastes. Whether you're looking to explore new flavors or simply want to add a bit of spice to your meals, Malabar chicken curry is a must-try recipe for any home cook.

Chilled Vegetable Soup

great dish when it is hot outside and/or inside.. sometimes a main dish with separately served potatoes, often with meat or sausages.. I like to serve it as a side dish to grilled food.. similar to Lithuanian chilled beat soup, which is fantastic, however they add a lot of cream, hard boiled eggs and do not add radish rather..

Filets of Sole in White Wine Sauce

Filets of sole in white wine sauce poaches delicate sole in an oven-warmed bath of clam juice, dry white wine, garlic, bay leaf, and peppercorns. Elegant French-style fish, low in fat and big in flavor.

Exotic Spiced Pea Pilaf

Flavorful and colorful. A classic Indian dish, the combination of yogurt, tomatoes, potatoes, rice and spices is super tasty and fills you up. Serve it as a side dish with a tangy stew or a main dish with some refreshing chutney.

Tandoori Spice Mix

Very popular Indian spice mix best known for use on Tandoori chicken.

Roasted Acorn Squash Soup

Roasted acorn squash soup: foil-roasted squash pureed with sweated onion and garlic, finished with cream, cinnamon, and a whisper of mace for a velvety fall starter.

Austrian Quick Pickled Red Onions

Austrian quick pickled red onions in an apple cider brine with bay leaf, allspice and peppercorns. Bright pink, sweet-tart and warmly spiced. Pile onto dark rye with paprika cheese, burgers, or fish tacos.

Delicious Instant Pot Pot Roast

Wow, the pot roast came out so flavourful and the gravy was also very tasty. We thinly sliced the leftover, used in sandwiches and wraps. Bravo!

Marynowane Pieczarki (Pickled Mushrooms)

Marynowane pieczarki are Polish pickled button mushrooms in a vinegar marinade with black peppercorns and bay leaves. A classic zakaski appetizer served chilled with bread, cured meats, or vodka.

Chinese Broad Bean & Potato Stir-Fry with Noodles

This is a classic dish in Northern China, it's usually made with broad beans, potatoes, pork or beef chunks as you wish, and freshly made noodles. This is an easier version by using spaghetti, I also omit the meat to make it a meatless but still very tasty.

Authentic General Tso's Chicken

This quick and tasty Tso's chicken is one of the most popular foods in Chinese restaurant or take-out. But when you realize how simple the dish is, you can just make it at your own kitchen within half an hour.

Garam Masala Lamb Kebabs

Garam masala lamb kebabs marinated in spiced yogurt with ginger, garlic, and fresh coriander, then grilled until charred and finished with a dusting of warm, toasted garam masala. Includes a from-scratch spice blend.

Mimi's Kosher Dill Pickles

Kosher dill pickles canned in a brine of vinegar, mustard seeds, peppercorns, garlic, and dill. Crunchy small-batch jars ready to crack open in 2 to 3 weeks.

Glazed Salmon Fillets

Quick and easy glazed salmon fillets. Asian inspired flavors that is rich in protein and healthy fats.

Chicken & Shrimp Vindaloo

This spicy Indian dish is best served with basmati or jasmine rice, warm nan, and ready-made mint chutney. A mango sorbet would be a nice finish to this meal.

Quick & Easy Pickled Beets

A quick and easy way to make pickled beets, you don't have to wait for days, or do the canning process. Within 30 minutes, you will be able to enjoy these delicious picked beets.

Berbere

Toast whole spices and grind fresh for this fiery Ethiopian blend that transforms stews, roasted vegetables, and grilled meats with layers of heat and warmth.

Korean Hot Pot

I had this yummy and warm hot-pot with some homemade kimchee and a Korean style spinach salad. Real comfort food! Highly recommend this dish to everyone who likes Korean food.

German Sauerbraten

Classic German beef pot roast that is marinated with vinegar, spices and seasonings. It's traditionally served with red cabbage and/or spaetzle or even pasta. Perfect for celebrating Oktoberfest.

Peameal Bacon - Canadian Pickled Pork Bacon - Back bacon

This is an easy to make version of real homemade Canadian Bacon. Also known as peameal bacon in Canada. Works wonderfully for peameal on a bun.

Favourite Pickled Red Onions

Pickled red onions Yucatán-style with cumin, Mexican oregano, garlic, and apple cider vinegar. The bright-pink condiment that makes tacos, grilled meat, and avocado toast taste better.

Bourbon Marinade (All-Purpose)

All-purpose bourbon marinade with white wine, vinegar, and aromatics built for wild game. Tames gamey flavors and tenderizes up to 7 lbs of venison, elk, or any cut.

Awesome Fish pie

Fish pie: flaky poached haddock and hard-boiled eggs folded with peas in a creamy parsley sauce, topped with buttery breadcrumbs and baked golden. A classic British comfort-food bake.

Deviled Short Ribs with Squash, Chickpeas & Kale

Braised beef short ribs coated in Dijon mustard and crispy breadcrumbs, served over a hearty ragout of butternut squash, chickpeas, and kale. Slow-cooked in porter beer with garlic and brown sugar.

Ariel's Spicy Indian Potatoes

Shoestring potatoes get pan-fried crispy then hit with crushed black pepper and tangy amchoor powder for fiery Indian street food flavor.

Best Sweet & Hot Corned Beef

Sweet and hot corned beef brisket simmered with cloves, garlic, and chilies, then glazed with bitter orange marmalade and baked until burnished. The piquant cousin to the classic St. Patrick's Day boil.

Pickled Sweet & Sour Fish

Pickled sweet and sour fish marinated in vinegar with peppercorns and allspice. Firm white fish coated in rye flour, pan-fried, then marinated up to 3 days.

Baked Beef & Vegetable Soup

Oven-baked beef and vegetable soup with short ribs, leeks, carrots, celery, mushrooms, and small pasta in a rich homemade broth. Slow-baked for tender, fall-off-the-bone beef and layered flavor in every spoonful.

Master Fish Stock

Master fish stock simmers whitefish bones with onions, leeks, shallots, and a thyme-bay aromatic base for a clear, gelatin-rich seafood broth. The base for soups, risottos, and sauces.

Chicken-And-Vegetable Soup

Two whole chickens simmered with leeks, carrots, celery, and fresh thyme yield a crystal-clear broth and tender diced meat. A from-scratch chicken soup that's worth every minute of the 2.5-hour simmer.

Veal & White Asparagus Fricassee

Classic veal fricassee with tender poached cubes in a buttery roux sauce, sautéed mushrooms, and white asparagus. A refined European comfort dish served over rice that's worth the slow simmer.

Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Plums & Rosemary

Pork tenderloin seared and roasted until juicy, served with plums slow-roasted in balsamic, vanilla bean, and rosemary. A bistro-style main that reduces its own pan liquid into a glossy, sweet-tart sauce.

Spiced Red Wine Fruit Soup with Candied Orange

Elegant red wine fruit soup with poached pears, candied orange slices, pineapple, and a crème fraîche finish. A stunning French-inspired dessert layered with star anise, vanilla, and cardamom.

Tofu Paneer

Indian-spiced tofu paneer simmered in a garam masala tomato sauce with green peas. Includes a recipe for homemade garam masala. Serve over brown rice with chutney for a vegan feast.

Sweet & Hot Corned Beef

Corned beef simmered with garlic, cloves, and dried chilies, then glazed with bitter orange marmalade and roasted. Sweet heat meets briny, fork-tender beef in every slice.

Moghul Masala

Moghul masala spice blend ground from whole cinnamon, cloves, black peppercorns, nutmeg, and cardamom. A warm, aromatic Indian spice mix for curries, rice, and meat dishes.

Cornsticks

Crispy cast-iron cornsticks with cracked fennel seeds and black pepper, baked in a sizzling hot mold for crunchy golden edges. Ready in 20 minutes, served piping hot with butter.

Homemade Garam Masala

Homemade garam masala spice blend with whole-toasted cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns, cumin, and coriander. The aromatic foundation of North Indian cooking, ground fresh for unmatched flavor.

Hot Spice Mix

Indian hot spice mix dry-roasted with cumin, dried chiles, peppercorns, cardamom, cinnamon, mustard seeds, and fenugreek. A homemade garam masala with serious heat.

Cajun Vinegar

Make your own cajun style vinegar by using this simple recipe.

Butchered Snake Bits with Barbecue Sauce

Creepy cheese-stuffed rigatoni shaped into slithering snakes with BBQ sauce markings and peppercorn eyes. A kid-friendly Halloween party snack that's equal parts gross and genius.

Turkey & Cranberry Chowder

A from-scratch turkey chowder simmered from the carcass with carrots, celery, potatoes, and diced turkey, served with a caramelized cranberry compote and sour cream. The most elegant way to use your Thanksgiving leftovers.

Savory Fried Rice

Savory fried rice with turmeric, cardamom, whole cloves, sauteed leeks, cashews, and raisins. A warmly spiced, jewel-toned rice dish with sweet and savory contrast in every bite.

Duck Curry

Thai duck curry simmered in coconut milk with a handmade paste of chilies, coriander, lemongrass, shrimp paste, and lime. Rich, fiery, and aromatic with fresh basil stirred in at the finish. Serve over jasmine rice.

Basic Broth (Brodo Di Carne Mista)

Traditional Italian mixed-meat broth (brodo di carne mista) made with chicken, beef short ribs, and veal bones. A slow-simmered foundation for tortellini in brodo, minestrone, risotto, and countless Italian soups and sauces.

Double-Crust Fresh Tomato Pie with Basil Mayo

Juicy summer tomatoes layered with fragrant basil and tangy mayo-lemon spread, all tucked between golden double crusts. Every slice reveals tender tomato rounds soaked in their own sweet juices, mingling with creamy spread and aromatic herbs.

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