Pepper isn’t grown commercially in the U.S. This perennial vine is hardy only in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 11b through 12, and thrives in moist, humid conditions. Few U.S. locales provide the necessary growing requirements.

The peppercorn seeds are ground up to produce black pepper. If the seed is procured, planted and maintained under the right conditions, you can grow a lovely vine that will produce fruit and eventually peppercorns for your own use.

Peppercorns are actually a tiny fruit, the drupe (a fruit with a single seed in the middle) of a flowering vine known as piper nigrum, grown in tropical regions, native to the Indian subcontinent and in Southeast Asia. Some of the best peppercorns in the world come from the Malabar Coast in the Indian state of Kerala.

Seeds should be sown lightly beneath the surface of the soil-medium, approximately ⅛”. Keep soil warm and well-moistened while awaiting germination. If grown in zones lower than 10, Peppercorn can be grown in a container and carefully overwintered indoors or when temperatures drop below 60 degrees F.

A pink peppercorn (French: baie rose, “pink berry”) is a dried berry of the shrub Schinus molle, commonly known as the Peruvian peppertree. The fruit and leaves of Peruvian pepper are potentially poisonous to poultry, pigs and possibly calves.

Pink pepper, like pepper cubebe, is a great natural remedy for its diuretic, antiseptic and disinfectant properties. It is used in case of rheumatism, menstrual spasm, bronchitis, urinary system infections. It is chewed as a simple remedy for colds, coughs and asthma in its country of origin.

Pink peppercorns are interchangeable with black and white (though you’ll see them if you’re swapping for white) and give a pop of color as well. While pink is attractive, it has a rather pungent center inside the hull, so “don’t be seduced by the beauty,” Guarnaschelli warns. Use it sparingly.

What Does Pink Peppercorn Taste Like? Their flavor is similar to that of a black peppercorn, but it’s not as strong and the flavor is much brighter and fruitier. They are slightly sweet and mild in spiciness, making them a great addition to butter-based sauces, salads, seafoods, dressings, and poultry dishes.

Pink peppercorns They’re similar in flavor to black pepper, but milder, a tiny bit sweet and highly fruity. Pink pepper adds great color to whatever you’re making — I’ve recently become a regular user of these in my cooking for both flavor and aesthetic reasons.

Use pink pepper as a garnish, in light cream sauces, and with seafood. When cooking, pink pepper should be added towards the end, as high heat and long cooking times can destroy the flavor. It’s also used in salad dressing and as a contrasting flavor in sweet desserts, particularly cookies.

Then there are Tellicherry black peppercorns, which are often lauded by many as the best in the world. Tellicherry peppercorns have two defining characteristics. First, they are grown in India. Second, Tellicherry peppercorns are 4 millimeters or larger in size.

When you think of pepper, you likely envision the black variety. In reality, black peppercorns are green peppercorns that have been cooked and dried out. Black pepper is most commonly used as a seasoning or crust that adds a robust spice to some of our favorite foods: meats, eggs, salads, fries, soups and more.

The Best: Tone’s Whole Black Peppercorns This product was mildly spicy and had fragrant, citrusy notes; it’s available nationally at Walmart. For black pepper aficionados who want a bit more heat, our runner-up was Penzeys Whole Tellicherry Indian Peppercorns, which had a “perfumy” aroma and “zingy” spiciness.

General signs of quality:

1. The peppercorns should be a relatively uniform color, a signature of higher quality and more consistent flavor.
2. Darker peppercorns are more flavorful.
3. Higher-grade peppercorns are usually more fresh than their low-grade counterparts.

Properly stored, dried peppercorns will generally stay at best quality for about 3 to 4 years. No, commercially packaged dried peppercorns do not spoil, but they will start to lose potency over time and not flavor food as intended – the storage time shown is for best quality only.

Dried herbs and spices don’t truly expire or “go bad” in the traditional sense. When a spice is said to have gone bad, it simply means that it has lost most of its flavor, potency, and color. Fortunately, consuming a spice that has gone bad is unlikely to make you sick.

Sichuan pepper doesn’t tend to go off but its aroma and numbing effect would decrease over time. Whole peppercorns could retain its quality for up to a year if stored properly. Ground pepper loses its taste more quickly so it’s advisable to finish it within 1-2 months (if making your own, grind a little at a time).