Green Peppercorns

Green Peppercorns are the young, unripe fruit of Piper nigrum, the pepper vine that gives us black peppercorns. Harvested early off the vine, Green Peppercorns are milder than black pepper. They have a lightly floral flavor and aroma, with brisk pepper-pine notes and an unobtrusive heat that quickly fades. Green Peppercorns have not been allowed to oxidize and their flavors are not fully developed. They have been boiled, washed with potassium sulphite to halt oxidization, and dehydrated.  Green Peppercorns have an essential oil content of up to 5%, so their flavor is still assertively peppery, but they have a surprising freshness that belies their immaturity off the vine.

Green Peppercorns are often sold in a brine and when they are, they are easily confused for capers. Capers are unopened flower buds from a Mediterranean bush; peppercorns are fruits. Fresh capers are exceedingly bitter but mellow with brining, and deliver a one-note salty snap to rich or oil-heavy dishes. Brined green peppercorns take on the salt from the brine, but retain their herbal-floral-pepper, which is an entirely different flavor profile from capers. They can make do as substitutes for each other in a small amounts, but are not recommended if their particular flavor profile is significant to the outcome of a dish.

Tips From Our Kitchen

Green Peppercorns can be used exactly like black peppercorns. Grind them up and use them in vegetable soup, on pasta dishes, or in stews. Their delicate, peppery flavor goes wonderfully when it’s ground on fruit, so try it it over strawberries, apricots, or pineapple. You can rehydrate Green Peppercorns; let them sit for an hour in the liquid of your choice. They will become puffy and smooth, and ready to use. Once rehydrated, you can use Green Peppercorns to make a classic butter sauce for steak; saute with shallot, butter, and your favorite dry red wine, drizzle over steak and enjoy.

Our Green Peppercorns come from India.

This product is certified kosher.

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