The Complete Guide to Harvesting, Preparing, and Drying Black Pepper

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Essential tips to help you with the drying process
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Drying the pepper berry into a peppercorn is the most important step in the production of black pepper. Doing it right leaves you with glossy, beautiful black peppercorns full of flavour. Like most good things, drying peppercorns takes labour and time, but it can be done without any expensive equipment. Read on for our complete guide!

When do you harvest pepper berries to dry into black pepper?

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  1. Look at the spikes on your plants and pick any that have mostly green berries, with 1-2 berries turning a brighter colour (yellow or red). [1] Black pepper is made from pepper berries that are just barely starting to mature. Spikes at different stages of maturity won't end up black.
    • There are several cultivars of black pepper plants, and their green fruit colour can range from grey-green to dark green to yellow-green. [2] The exact colour change depends on the cultivar, but it should be easy to notice.
    • If you are drying pepper for yourself, you can speed things up by picking all the spikes at the same time, even if some aren't fully mature yet. Keep in mind you'll end up with a mix of green, black, and white peppercorns, though (farmers don't do this because they want all the peppercorns to be black). [3]
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How do you prepare fresh pepper for drying?

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  1. After harvesting, leave the spikes intact without removing any berries. Place the spikes out in the sun in a single layer. This initial 'fermentation' or 'first drying' is optional but recommended, as it helps breaks down some compounds in the plant to create a better black colour in the final peppercorn. [4]
    • This step may vary the most between different growers in different parts of the world, when it is done at all; it can last anywhere from a few hours to a few days. [5] The details aren't important for a home project, but if you're growing to sell, you can try experimenting with different lengths to see how it affects the final result.
    • If they're outside, they'll need constant supervision to prevent birds from eating the riper berries. If you're making a small batch at home, it's easier to place them next to a window.
  2. Put the pepper spikes inside a fine mesh sieve, or (for large batches) a clean, food-safe cloth bag on the end of a stick. Lower the container into boiling water and leave it for several minutes. Blanching improves the flavour, colour, and scent of the pepper and can help the berries dry more quickly. [6]
    • If you're in a hurry, it's fine to blanch the berries in water as low as 60ºC (140ºF) for 30 seconds or so. [7]
  3. Let the spikes cool a bit after blanching them. Then, rub the spikes between your hands, trample them with your feet, or put them in containers and beat them with sticks. [8] This helps separate the berries from the broken stems and other plant parts.
    • Wash your hands, feet (if you're trampling berries), and equipment thoroughly before separating the berries from the stems.
    • For larger harvests, you can use automated threshing equipment to make the process easier.
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How do you sun-dry pepper?

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  1. Keep the layer as thin as possible, with minimal overlap of berries. For large harvests, leave pathways between the berries so you can walk between them and reach them all with a rake. [9]
  2. This promotes even drying and helps prevent mould from developing on the berries. Supervise constantly to protect the berries against animals and rain. [10]
    • Don't be too discouraged if some of the berries get wet, fouled by birds, or just go mouldy on their own. It's normal to lose a large percentage of the crop. Just throw them away and focus on the rest.
  3. Let the berries dry for at least 2-3 days in very hot, dry weather, or as many as 12 days in cool, humid weather. [11] A quick test used in Sri Lanka is to stop drying when you can put your hand into a pile of peppercorns and they stick to your hairs. [12]
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How do you dry pepper in a drying machine or oven?

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  1. Any forced-air dryer or convection dryer will work as long as it doesn't get too hot. You can even use an oven with a low-temperature "warm" setting, if you have a very small amount of pepper to dry.
  2. This temperature is recommended for best colour and flavour. [13] Higher temperatures work as long as the pepper never gets above 70ºC (160ºF). [14] The amount of time varies based on many factors, but this often takes less than a day. [15]
    • Many drying machines don't stay at a constant temperature, so check often.
    • If you are drying pepper for your own use, the exact water percentage doesn't matter. Just take out the pepper when they turn into black peppercorns.
    • If you are growing pepper for sale or transport, measure the water content with chemistry equipment. You can use a Dean-Stark apparatus with toluene, or the Karl Fischer method (by hand or with an automated Karl Fischer titrator). [16]
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How do you process black peppercorns for storage?

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  1. In a typical harvest, only about ⅓ of the green berries end up as usable black peppercorns. Remove any stems or leaves that you see and toss out any peppercorns that are broken or the wrong size/colour. If you're selling the pepper, you could sell some of the defective ones separately to be turned into black pepper oil. [17]
    • A sieve and/or a winnowing basket can help you remove dust and separate out different grades of pepper. Other types of sorting can be done by hand, but this is much easier with specialised machines. If you sell your pepper to a processing plant, these machines might be available there.
    • The main factor in how many black peppercorns are usable is the cultivar of pepper. In Malaysia, for example, the cultivars "Semongok Emas," "Nyerigai," and "India" can have a yield over 40%. [18]
  2. Ideally, these should be brand-new, but you can reuse containers if you clean them thoroughly. Never reuse a container that has been used for non-food products, and keep the containers away from gardening products like pesticides. Store the peppercorns in a cool, dark area and use them within 3-4 years. [19]
    • An airtight material such as glass or plastic is best to prevent the loss of flavour and excessive drying. If using polypropylene plastic, seal the edges with heat to make them airtight. Avoid polythene, which does not stop flavour loss.
    • If using jute bags or other cloth bags, do not label them with ink, since it can seep through the bag. A paper tag is better. [20]
    • If you are processing a large amount of black pepper for sale, store it in its own room away from other foods.
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      Tips

      • Although 12% is the maximum moisture content, drying the pepper further helps protect it during transport. [21] Of course, as it loses more water, the pepper also loses weight, so you'll have fewer kilos of pepper to sell.
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      • Some people dry the intact spikes, which makes it easier to remove the dried peppercorns afterward. To do this, you'll need a way to hang the spikes in the air and revolve them regularly to dry them on all sides. [22]
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      Warnings

      • Always transport black pepper in cool, dry, well-ventilated vehicles. Protect the containers from moisture with absorbent cloths, mats, and/or anti-condensation films and paints. Black pepper also releases its own water into the air, so do not ship it with other moisture-sensitive products. [23]
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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.micronesialandgrant.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/COMFSM-Black-Pepper-Cultivation-Guide-Verma-2018-Updated-03022018.pdf
      2. ↑ https://www.researchgate.net/publication/342621161_Botany_Diversity_and_Distribution_of_Black_Pepper_Piper_nigrum_L_Cultivars_in_Malaysia
      3. ↑ https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Giridhar-Raghavan-Nair/publication/227220417_Fermentative_production_of_white_pepper_using_indigenous_bacterial_isolates/links/02bfe50ebd98beb655000000/Fermentative-production-of-white-pepper-using-indigenous-bacterial-isolates.pdf
      4. ↑ https://www.nzdl.org/cgi-bin/library?e=d-00000-00---off-0fnl2.2--00-0----0-10-0---0---0direct-10---4-------0-1l--11-en-50---20-about---00-0-1-00-0--4----0-0-11-10-0utfZz-8-00&cl=CL3.38&d=HASHfb1b5c4e694a7fcda1ec78.5
      5. ↑ https://www.nzdl.org/cgi-bin/library?e=d-00000-00---off-0fnl2.2--00-0----0-10-0---0---0direct-10---4-------0-1l--11-en-50---20-about---00-0-1-00-0--4----0-0-11-10-0utfZz-8-00&cl=CL3.38&d=HASHfb1b5c4e694a7fcda1ec78.5
      6. ↑ https://www.iserd.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/IJERD-Vol8-2_for_Proof-reading.pdf
      7. ↑ https://umr-qualisud.cirad.fr/en/content/download/4886/36329/version/1/file/ACL+Impact+of+blanching%2C+sweating+and+drying+operations+2017.pdf
      8. ↑ https://www.indiaagronet.com/horticulture/CONTENTS/black_pepper.htm
      9. ↑ https://www.fao.org/input/download/standards/27/CXP_042e_2014.pdf
      1. ↑ https://www.nzdl.org/cgi-bin/library?e=d-00000-00---off-0fnl2.2--00-0----0-10-0---0---0direct-10---4-------0-1l--11-en-50---20-about---00-0-1-00-0--4----0-0-11-10-0utfZz-8-00&cl=CL3.38&d=HASHfb1b5c4e694a7fcda1ec78.5
      2. ↑ https://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/3381/1/Drying_of_Black_Pepper_(Piper_nigrum_L.)_Using_Solar_Tunnel_Dryer.pdf
      3. ↑ https://www.nzdl.org/cgi-bin/library?e=d-00000-00---off-0fnl2.2--00-0----0-10-0---0---0direct-10---4-------0-1l--11-en-50---20-about---00-0-1-00-0--4----0-0-11-10-0utfZz-8-00&cl=CL3.38&d=HASHfb1b5c4e694a7fcda1ec78.5
      4. ↑ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33114432/
      5. ↑ https://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/3381/1/Drying_of_Black_Pepper_(Piper_nigrum_L.)_Using_Solar_Tunnel_Dryer.pdf
      6. ↑ https://www.fao.org/input/download/standards/27/CXP_042e_2014.pdf
      7. ↑ https://fssai.gov.in/upload/uploadfiles/files/Manual_Revised_Spices_Herbs_22_06_2021.pdf
      8. ↑ https://www.fao.org/3/au145e/au145e.pdf
      9. ↑ https://www.researchgate.net/publication/342621161_Botany_Diversity_and_Distribution_of_Black_Pepper_Piper_nigrum_L_Cultivars_in_Malaysia
      10. ↑ https://www.stilltasty.com/Fooditems/index/16547
      11. ↑ https://www.fao.org/input/download/standards/27/CXP_042e_2014.pdf
      12. ↑ https://www.tis-gdv.de/tis_e/ware/gewuerze/pfeffer/pfeffer-htm/#feuchte
      13. ↑ https://www.fao.org/3/au145e/au145e.pdf
      14. ↑ https://www.tis-gdv.de/tis_e/ware/gewuerze/pfeffer/pfeffer-htm/

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