Whole allspice is the dried allspice berry. It resembles a large, medium-brown peppercorn with a similar, pebble-like firmness. Whole allspice berries are often used with other whole spices like peppercorns and clove to infuse beverages, sauces, and broths. Ground allspice results from grinding dried whole berries.
Uses of Allspice
The berries of the allspice tree are not the only useful part of it. The fresh leaves can give an infused flavor to dishes (like a bay leaf). The wood is used to smoke meat and sausages.
What Does It Taste Like?
Allspice combines the flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and pepper. It can be used for many purposes that those warm spices are used, or as a substitute for them.
All About Allspice – What Is Allspice – Glen And Friends Cooking
FAQ
Can I substitute ground allspice for allspice berries?
How much allspice powder equals one berry?
Do you crush allspice berries?
Is ground allspice the same as pimento berries?
What is allspice Berry?
Allspice is the dried, unripened berry of the myrtle pepper tree, or pimento, which is native to Jamaica and much of Central America. The berries are briefly fermented, then sun-dried until brown. Often mistaken for a blend of spices, allspice is a single-ingredient seasoning with loads of unique flavor.
Can you use ground allspice instead of whole allspice?
Substituting ground allspice for whole allspice berries, or vice versa, the conversion is 6 whole allspice berries is the equivalent of 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of ground allspice. If you are adding the whole berries to a soup or stew in place of ground allspice, it’s advisable to remove them before consumption.
Are allspice berries better than ground spices?
Ground spices are more intense than whole cloves or berries. Whole allspice berries are sometimes used in stews and soups, and for pickling and brining. You will certainly have better success using the ground version in desserts, such as pumpkin cake or pie, spice cakes, and gingerbread. What Does It Taste Like?
What do allspice berries look like?
Once dried, the fruits look like peppercorns but fresh and unripe, the green berries more closely resemble olives. As my colleague and food editor Shilpa Uskokovic explains, allspice is “picked unripe and then fermented and dried before being packaged and sold.”