Table pepper, referring to black pepper, is made by drying the fruit that grows around the seed of the pepper plant.
Here's a breakdown:
- Pepper Fruit Growth: The pepper plant produces small, round fruits.
- Harvesting: These fruits are harvested when they begin to turn from green to red.
- Drying: The harvested fruits are then dried, often in the sun.
- Black Peppercorns: As the fruit dries, it shrivels and darkens, resulting in the characteristic black peppercorn. The fruit dries around the seed.
- Grinding (Optional): The black peppercorns can be sold whole or ground into a powder to produce ground black pepper (table pepper).
Essentially, the process involves drying the fruit of the pepper plant, which encases the seed, until it becomes a black peppercorn. This can then be ground to create the table pepper commonly used as a condiment.
