Jerry Avins wrote:
> On Dec 27, 10:09 pm, "Christopher M." >
> wrote:
>> 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.
>
> Peppercorns and poppy seeds are too hard for that technique. For
> pepper, I use a tall brass mortar deeper tan it is wide, and I still
> need a cover to keep the pepper from scattering. I use the plastic top
> of a coffee can with a hole in it for the pestle. It works like a
> charm.

That's some badass hardware.


W. Pooh (AKA Winnie P.)