A container of black pepper seems to have both black and greyish bits. Why is this the case? Shouldn’t it all just be black?
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4Could you post a picture of the container? Black pepper is not completely black through and through. The inside is lighter, which might come across as grey depending.– user141592Apr 15, 2019 at 13:55
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4The center of a black peppercorn is white. (and sold as 'white pepper' if it's been removed) chowhound.com/food-news/138263/…– JoeApr 15, 2019 at 16:39
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3I highly recommend buying a proper pepper grinder and buying good quality whole peppercorns so you can grind just prior to use.– JimmyJamesApr 15, 2019 at 19:29
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1In the absence of a proper pepper grinder, I would still recommend using a bad pepper grinder, or even a mortar and pestle. If you're using pre-ground black pepper, you might as well use white.– MartijnApr 16, 2019 at 14:50
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1Why is ground beef not black and white cow spotted?– A CApr 16, 2019 at 16:17
2 Answers
Here is a photo of a peppercorn. You can see why a ground one might contain both black and grey bits.
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Yep. Seeds have a hardish outer casing for protection from weather etc., and innards full of carbs and protein to grow a new plant. Two purposes, at least two different compounds, two different colors. Apr 17, 2019 at 0:44
https://www.seriouseats.com/2012/07/taste-test-black-pepper-what-are-differences-in-varieties.html
According to this article, consistency and the darkness of the color is a sign of the quality of the black pepper. Note that this is talking about the outside layer of the peppercorn, not the inside as moscafj has noted.