Oh, no, no, no. Just no. Green peppercorns are attractive-looking, and they are a standout among the various kinds of pepper, with a bright, sharp bite.
While the pink (or red) peppercorns you find in mixed pepper are typically a whole different species, black, white and green peppercorns all come from the same plant. The black ones are picked green, then boiled briefly and dried or picked and dried in sunlight, and either way, they heat up and darken, with some internal changes. White peppercorns are allowed to ripen, retted (soaked in water for a long time), gently abraded to remove the skin and thin flesh, and dried, resulting in a white corn and a pungent aroma. I like 'em, but a little goes a long way.
Green peppercorns have to be picked green and processed in a way that keeps the green hue -- drying in sulfur dioxide and pickling being common. Whatever the process, the end result doesn't agree with me. At all.
We ordered out last night, and I got lasagna with Bolognese sauce. It was delicious! But apparently it was made with green peppercorns, and, well, never mind.
The green ones are uncommon and expensive, and encountering them is rare. I'm grateful for that.
You remind me of a few years ago when I was making something that called for capers. I got a new bottle from the pantry and proceeded. I no longer recall what I was making, but it was awful! You can guess that I had grabbed a bottle of green peppercorns. I'll admit that I had no idea what a green peppercorn was or why I would have bought that bottle. Thanks for the education, but the only things I make these days are stews.
ReplyDeleteSulfur dioxide is a pollutant that "can trigger asthma, headaches, hives, and severe allergic reactions". So, someone said "I know, let's put it in food! It'll be fun!"? Used by ancient Greeks as a disinfectant, banned by the FDA in 1986 for use on fresh produce.
ReplyDeleteCoal tar digestive aid, radium toothpaste, ozone air freshener, etc. Is there nothing humans won't ingest?