how do you use allspice in cooking

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What is allspice? For starters: It’s versatile. It swings sweet and savory. It refuses to be put in a box (except literally, of course, to be mailed to your door). Whenever my pumpkin pies, pickling brines, soups, or braises need a little warmth and pizzazz, it’s enigmatic allspice that I reach for first.

Moving beyond function and into form, the allspice we know and love is actually a berry. Also known as a Jamaica pepper, myrtle pepper, or pimento, allspice is the unripe fruit of the Pimenta dioica, an evergreen tree in the Myrtle family native to the West Indies, Southern Mexico, and Central America. 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.”

What allspice isn’t, despite the gotcha name, is a whole bunch of spices mixed together, says Caroline Schiff, pastry chef at Gage & Tollner, executive chef at Slow Up, and author of the cookbook The Sweet Side of Sourdough. “That’s a common misconception.”

WHAT IS ALLSPICE USED FOR? You can use allspice in a variety of recipes that are sweet or savory such as cookies, pumpkin pie, spice cake, spicing for sausage and glazes for ham. It’s a key flavor in Jamaican jerk seasoning, the fiery blend of herbs and spices that turns chicken or pork into an instant party.

So, what’s the flavor of allspice?

It makes sense that allspice is often mistaken for a blend like Chinese five-spice or pumpkin spice—because the flavor profile is multidimensional, featuring notes of cloves, nutmeg, star anise, fennel, black pepper, and cinnamon. It’s warming, with a peppery and savory backbone, says Schiff. “Like pumpkin spice’s cool, sophisticated cousin who subscribes to The Paris Review, drinks natural wine, and claims to have never been to Starbucks.” You know the one.

How do I cook with allspice?

Cooks around the world use allspice in both sweet and savory recipes, like “Jamaican jerk seasoning, Middle Eastern baharat, Swedish pickled herring, Mexican mole, Portuguese beef stew, and corned beef,” Uskokovic says. You’ll also notice traces of its characteristic complexity in aromatic liqueurs like Chartreuse and Bénédictine.

In recipes that call for pumpkin spice, Schiff loves to use allspice instead—“I think it adds some more complexity,” she says—and she’ll often toast whole allspice berries in a dry pan before simmering in mulled cider or wine or infusing into milk and cream for ice cream. Uskokovic uses allspice most commonly in sweet recipes, adding “a fat pinch or two to a thick, glossy caramel sauce that’s good over ice cream, under a flan, or layered between rounds of cake.” Come summer, she cooks whole allspice berries with apricots, sugar, fresh ginger, and lemon “for a heady jam” that lasts her through the rest of the year.

As a rule of thumb, the whole berries are most often deployed when a liquid is present: They’ll infuse brines, stock, warm drinks, gravy, soups, simple syrups, stews, and sauces. The ground spice is ideal for baking—add it straight to cookie doughs and cake batters—and wherever else the spice will be directly consumed, like marinades, spice rubs, and meatball mixtures. Either way, “adding allspice at the beginning of the cooking process maximizes its flavor release,” Uskokovic says. “And allspice almost always benefits from the application of heat (i.e., cooked in a custard rather than sprinkled on top of a pie).”

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FAQ

What does allspice taste like?

Where is allspice commonly used?

What do you do with allspice powder?

What part of the allspice is edible?

Can you use allspice in cooking?

In fact, allspice usage in cooking is not as complex as you feel when you can match the right ingredients with the proper form! Allspice is a versatile spice that is used with an assortment of sweet and savory dishes, spice blends, and seasonings.

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.

How do you use allspice in baking?

In sweet treats, allspice pairs well with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, adding depth to baked goods like cookies, cakes, and pies. Experiment with allspice in different recipes and adjust the quantity according to your taste preferences. Remember, a little allspice can go a long way in enhancing the flavors of your dishes.

What can I do with ground allspice?

Blend ground allspice with spices like black pepper, paprika, clove, cinnamon, or nutmeg and rub over meat, stir it into a sauce, or blend it into batters, fillings, and dessert doughs. Here are a few recipes to get you started!