How Do They Process White Pepper?

White pepper is traditionally processed using a method called retting, which involves soaking the ripened peppercorns to remove the outer skin.

The Traditional Retting Method for White Pepper

The process begins with fully ripened green pepper berries. These berries contain the peppercorn inside, surrounded by the outer skin (pericarp). To produce white pepper, this outer layer must be removed.

Here's a breakdown of the traditional processing steps based on the retting method:

1. Harvesting: Fully ripened green pepper berries are harvested.
2. Bagging: The harvested berries are filled into gunny bags.
3. Soaking (Retting): The bags filled with pepper berries are soaked in running water for a period of 8 to 10 days. This crucial step, known as retting, softens the outer skin of the berries.
4. Skin Separation: After soaking, the berries are ready for skin removal. The softened skin is separated by trampling.
5. Washing: Following skin separation, the peppercorns are thoroughly washed.
6. Drying: Finally, the cleaned peppercorns are sun dried until they are ready.

This retting process essentially allows the outer layer to loosen through fermentation facilitated by soaking in water, making it easy to remove and leaving behind the pale inner core which is the white peppercorn.

Summary Table of White Pepper Processing

For clarity, here is a summary of the traditional steps:

Step	Action	Purpose	Duration (Retting)
1. Harvesting	Gather ripe green berries	Starting material	-
2. Bagging	Fill berries into bags	Prepare for soaking	-
3. Soaking/Retting	Soak bags in running water	Soften outer skin	8-10 days
4. Skin Separation	Trample berries	Remove softened skin	-
5. Washing	Clean peppercorns	Remove residue	-
6. Drying	Sun dry	Preserve peppercorns	-

This traditional retting method is labor-intensive but effective in yielding the distinct white peppercorns known for their milder flavour compared to black pepper.