Can You Grind Peppercorns In A Food Processor? -

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The importance of peppercorns in our spice collection can never be exaggerated. Peppercorns form a vital part of our everyday cooking, and if you are someone who enjoys cooking with spices then finding the best way to get the best out of your spices will always be a plus.

So, Can You Grind Peppercorns In A Food Processor? Peppercorns can be grounded in a food processor such as Cuisinart DFP-14BCNY 14-Cup Food Processor, but there are procedures you will have to follow to get the best result. Below are simple steps to get the best result when grinding your peppercorns with your food processor.

How To Grind Peppercorns In A Food Processor

Step 1: Connect Your Food Processor To A Power Source

Once you have ascertained the neatness of your food processor such as Cuisinart DFP-14BCNY 14-Cup Food Processor, plug it into a power source. If you feel you have to rinse your processor, ensure the processor is completely dry before pouring in your peppercorns.

Step 2: Pour In More Peppercorns Than You Need

Since you are unlikely to get out all the spice you poured into your F. Processor, it has been suggested that you more peppercorns than you will need – for instance, if your recipe needs four tablespoons of peppercorns, you are advised to pour in five or six spoons. The excess ground peppercorns can always be stored up for later use.

Step 3: Turn On The Food Processor

Set the processor to start blending, and ensure you pulse it at intervals to ensure it blends evenly. Once you have blended the peppercorns to your taste, ensure you pure out every bit you can lay your hands on. As for the excess – just as I mentioned earlier – you can always store it in a container to preserve its freshness amongst other things.

How Do I Grind Lots Of Pepper At Once?

When it comes to grinding a large quantity of pepper, a lot of things come to mind, but if you want the best result, I suggest you try out bur coffee grinders.

Burr coffee grinders use two rotating grating surfaces that can closer or further apart, depending on the setting that fits your need.

In contrast to numerous grinders, burr coffee grinders are explicitly intended to protect the true flavour of the ingredient it processes, and unlike other sharp grinders, burr coffee grinders use less friction and less heat which are ideal for a large number of spices.

If you have a burr coffee grinder, I suggest buying a second for grinding your spices in large quantities. You can also use a mortar and pestle, but these will take a long amount of time, and you might have to repeat the process for a considerable amount of time, which is something you might not enjoy doing.

Can’t I Just Use Regular Spice Grinder?

Indeed, you can, but if you seek uniformity in your grinding process despite quantity, then coffee grinders are ideal. While normal spice grinders, or even a pestle and mortar, will make a good showing, you’re not going to get uniformity when grinding your peppercorns.

At last, everything relies upon how great you need your completed outcome to be. For a simple method to consistently pound dark peppercorns, coffee grinders are definitely ideal, and they retain the taste of the spices as well.

What Is The Best Way To Grind Spices?

There are many routes into New York City, and the same can be said about getting the best out of your spices. However, not many are aware that you can not only grind your spices but toast them. Toasting spices is highly recommended if you intend to bring out some vital oils they possess, as well as some deep flavours that wouldn’t have been gotten by simply grinding or pounding.

The following steps below will show you how to toast your spices to get the best out of them.

Materials Needed

Skillet
Heat source (microwave is not recommended)
Mortar and pestle
Spice grinder (in absence of a mortar and pestle)

Step 1: Get Your Skillet Clean And Ready

Ensure your skillet is clean and properly dried by allowing the pan to heat a little on the fire. A dried pan will ensure that your herbs are properly exposed to the heat thereby allowing a seamless process all around.

Step 2: Place The Spices In The Skillet

After putting your skillet on the heat source, place your spice on the skillet. I actually tried it with cumin seeds, coriander and bay leave due to their dry nature. You are bound to get a very good result if your skillet is made with cast iron due to the way it transfers heat.

Step 3: Shake The Herbs Regularly

You are advised to shake the herbs regularly for an even distribution of heat. It also prevents the herbs from burning on one side. Don’t leave the herbs on their own to attend to something else – at this point, they need your undivided attention.

Step 4: Turn Off The Heat Source And Allow The Herbs To Cool

You know your herbs are already toasted as soon as you start perceiving the herbs. Turn off the heat source and allow the herbs to cool before proceeding to pound or grind as your case may be. Don’t proceed to pound the herbs or spice immediately.

Experts also recommend that you don’t toast different spices at the same time due to their different texture and mass. Toast the spices individually to get the best result – for example, don’t toast coriander with bay seeds.

Step 5: Use A Mortar, Coffee Grinder, Or Spice Grinder To Grind The Already Cooled Spice

Once the spices are slightly cooled, use the available grinder to grind your spices. Normally, I would recommend a coffee grinder, but a mortar or spice grinder would do a very good job as well.

Can You Grind Peppercorns In A Blender?

Yes, you can grind peppercorns in a blender, as long as you remember to pulse the blender at regular intervals to get an even blend. Blenders are very ideal for such blends, and the power they bring to the table will grind your spices to your specifications.

The reason why some persons will prefer a spice blender to a blender for such actions can be due to having the scent of spices lingering in the blender even after washing, which can have an effect on the taste of smoothies in the long run.

Having a dedicated blender for such a purpose will go a long way in giving you a good blend experience, but remember, the more you pulse your blender when using it, the better it gets.

Are Coffee Grinders And Spice Grinders The Same?

For starters, the fact that they both have the same name doesn’t make them the same. However, coffee grinders are primarily built to grind the coffee, while spice grinders are [primarily built to grind spice – but recent discoveries have seemed to side with coffee blenders when it comes to getting the best grind for your spices.

Here are some of the major differences between a coffee grinder, and a spice grinder.

The Name

Just like I said earlier the name alone sets them apart from each other due to the primary function for which they were designed – it’s worth the mention though.

The Blades

The blades of a spice grinder are known to grind spices into pieces, but the same cannot be said for coffee beans – coffee grinders, on the other hand, will grind your coffee to its desired blend, and grind your spices as well. (Read Also: How To Sharpen Meat Grinder Blades And Plates With Steps)

Price Range

You should note that coffee grinders can be either manual or electric, and this alone has an effect on the price range – electric coffee grinders are usually more expensive than manual coffee grinders.

Spice grinders are mostly sold as electric appliances than manual ones, and they are usually slightly cheaper than coffee grinders – depends on the quality and brand though.

So in summary, if you’re facing a dilemma choosing between a coffee blender and a spice grinder, I will strongly advise you to go for a coffee grinder due to its multi-functions. Except you aren’t a fan of coffee though.

How Do You Grind Spices Into Fine Powder?

You can have your favourite spice into powdered form by following the simple steps I will be outlining below, but do well to follow these safety procedures – spices are generally aromatic and volatile, and ignoring some certain safety instruction could put you and your family at risk.

Ensure the work area is properly ventilated. Open the windows, and allow room for fresh air to pour in through the various available outlets.
For spicy spices such as peppercorns, and other tough spices, I suggest you wear eye goggles to prevent debris flying aimlessly during the process from entering your eyes – it’s not a pleasant experience – take it from me who has experienced such.
If you feel you want to filter out fine particles, I suggest you wear a nose mask, or simply cover your nose with a handkerchief during the process, because it is highly likely that those fine particles can be lifted into your nostrils by the slightest amount of air.
I will also suggest you have some vinegar in place for accidental skin contact with hot spices. Wearing disposable gloves will also prevent you from blistering your palms if you’re using a mortar and pestle for the grinding process.

Step 1: Ensure The Spices Are Dry Or Dry Them If Necessary

You aren’t going to get any form of powder with a moist spice. Ensuring the spices are dry is the first and most important step in having your spice in powdered form.

Here are some ideas you can use to dry some naturally fresh spices.

Peppers: Peppers like gochu, paprika, and the likes can be dried by simply sewing them together either on a pepper strand or any other platform, and then hanging them in a location where you can have indirect sunlight.
Mushrooms: Slicing your mushrooms into very thin layers and exposing them to direct sunlight will also do a very good job. The thinner the mushrooms, the faster they dry.
Seed Spices: All that’s required for seed spices is for you to simply remove the heads or extract them from their pods, then lay them out on a paper bag and expose them to direct sunlight till they are dry. The next step will require you to remove the chaff if there’s any, and you can accomplish this by putting the seeds in a pillowcase, then hit the seeds on a hard surface – winnow the chaff, and remove the ones that missed the hitting process with your hands.
Spices With Much Moisture: Spices with much moisture can be dried by cutting them into titbits, then expose these bits to as much sunlight as you can.

Other Methods Of Drying

You can also use electric dehydrators to quicken the drying process. Ensure you follow the required setting as recommended by the manufactures to get the maximum results.

Step 2: Break Up Bulky Spices Into Bits

To get the best and quickest result, ensure your spices are broken into smaller bits. If you are using a mortar, then this shouldn’t be a problem.

However, using a spice grinder or a coffee grinder will require you to reduce the molecular size of the spices by cutting into smaller segments – you can use the pillow method described earlier, or simply use a mortar.

Step 3: Grind The Spices

Once you have the spices into tiny bits, grind these spices into bits by using a mortar and pestle, or a coffee grinder. A coffee grinder (electric) will do a quicker job than a mortar and pestle, but the preference is all yours.

Step 4: Package Your Spices

Put your powdered spice into appropriate containers that are air-tight, to help it retain its flavour and aroma. To extend the life of your spice, put them in a dark location – far away from any form of light – however, putting them in small bottles on your spice racks can make them last for about 2-3 months.