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Christopher M.[_3_] Christopher M.[_3_] is offline
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Default Pepper Grinder Torque?

Jerry Avins wrote:
> On Dec 27, 2:26 pm, "Christopher M." > wrote:
>> Jerry Avins wrote:
>>> On Dec 26, 7:44 pm, "Christopher M." >
>>> wrote:
>>>> What kind of torque do I need to get a good grind on some
>>>> peppercorns?

>>
>>>> I have a ****y little pepper grinder.

>>
>>> It depends on the mill. A good deal less than a foot-pound.

>>
>>> Jerry

>>
>> Thanks Jerry. I think my problem was that I was grinding the pepper
>> too fine.
>>
>> I'm grinding it a little coarser now.
>>
>> Coarse pepper has more flavor. Fine pepper tastes like the stuff in
>> the supermarket.

>
> Your experience may depend on the variety of pepper, but I suspect
> that you may have set the mill so fine that the two burrs were in
> contact and you were trying to grind steel. I like a very fine grind
> for most dishes.
>
> The aroma, but not the sharpness, dissipates quickly in air, which is
> why I use a mill in the first place. Skeptics should try this: use two
> small dishes. Grind some pepper into one and let it sit for a day.
> Then, without resetting the mill, grind a like amount into the other.
> Sniff at each, and the older one should be evident. What we perceive
> as taste has an aroma component, and the stale pepper is just less
> pungent.


Ground pepper does get moldy very quickly. I think I read that it's one of
the moldiest things in the kitchen.

> The most aromatic pepper of all is prepared in a mortar, not a mill.
> The pounding expresses the aromatic oil and gives the result
> remarkable pungency. I don't bother for a little bit, but when a
> recipe calls for half a teaspoon or more, my mortar is actually
> quicker. The conversion is simple: a teaspoon of peppercorns pounds up
> to a teaspoon of ground pepper.


Pounding is one way to use a mortar. Another way is to move the handle of
the pestle, in a circular motion, around the top edge of the mortar while
the bottom of the pestle slides against the opposite bottom edge of the
mortar. If the mortar is shaped correctly, the pestle should move seamlessly
along the bottom edge. But most mortars are junk.


W. Pooh (AKA Winnie P.)