Is there a way to neutralize white pepper flavor?

Paul

Paul

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I purchased this peppercorn melange recently while at Walmart. (Sam's Select) and made a meatloaf with it but the white pepper was overwhelming. I thought I just added too much of the ground pepper but today I made some beans and used it again but again the white pepper flavor is overwhelming. So I've ruined two dishes with it. The meatloaf I had actually made 10 lbs of it to freeze some for future meals. So now I have this meatloaf in the freezer and I thought originally that I'd just mix it with more meat to thin out the white pepper flavor but after today I don't think that will work. I've bought melange like this before without a problem (different brands) but the white pepper in this is just nasty and ridiculously strong.

 
Paul, I found this but I'm not sure it will work for white pepper

Right before serving a dish, finding out it has too much pepper can be a disaster. Luckily, there are ways to neutralize food seasoned with too much pepper, or to balance the pepper with other flavors. Since you can't take the pepper out, try adding neutralizing ingredients and the pepper won't overwhelm. Depending on the dish, sweetening the recipe, diluting the pepper by adding additional ingredients, putting in more fats or increasing the acidic content can tone down the spiciness of the pepper.

https://oureverydaylife.com/neutralize-food-seasoned-much-pepper-43186.html

 
This is very interesting. I've picked the white peppers out of blends to use for Maida's lemon

cake and actually thought they were milder than the black.

Have you tasted a single pepper on its own? I wonder if some chemical was added to keep the blend from clumping or something along that line?

 
Some thoughts

For your frozen meatloaf: I assume you froze several loaves? Freezing may help tame the pepper but what I would do is to thaw either all or just one at a time when you want to use it, put the meat in a mixing bowl and add a splash of low sodium soy sauce or some salsa (I like Pace Picante Sauce) either green or red. I probably would also add some shredded cheese to add fat too. Then put back in the pan and bake it. I don't know what you put in your meatloaves so not sure the ingredients will work but if you want to share the recipe maybe we can help figure it out. Then I would toss the entire container of peppercorns and take the loss because picking the white ones out seems a little silly to me:)

 
Too funny, Marilyn, I just posted at the same time you did about picking out peppercorns LOL

 
I took the meatloaf out of the freezer so I am going to try your suggestions today

Thank You.
Regarding the white pepper flavor, I do not hate white pepper. There just seems to be something about this particular batch that is nasty. Yes I did compare it to the other peppercorns and it is definitely the white that is the problem.

 
So reading about this found old NYTimes article

Also some references to people that hate the smell of white pepper it seems that the culprit is QUALITY. When white pepper is fermented it is supposed to be in constantly flowing water but in poorer quality it just sits in stagnant water. So if your white pepper is nasty, that is probably why. Poor quality processing.

The Times article is interesting that connection to the "peppery" note in some wine.

Perhaps I'm extra sensitive to this particular chemical. The article says some people don't detect it. My family didn't complain I just thought they were being polite.

https://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/04/dining/04curious.html?_r=1&scp=3&sq=%22white%20pepper%22&st=cse&oref=slogin

 
results

To the meatloaf mixture I added: soy sauce, salsa, two eggs, cheddar cheese and Parmesan cheese.

My wife had the idea to make burgers out of the meat instead of a meatloaf and happy to say that the nasty pepper smell/flavor was greatly diminished and with some caramelized onions, cheese and condiments, pretty much unnoticeable and everyone enjoyed the burgers.

 
That's great Paul. So happy you were able to make it all palatable

Over the years I have had to "fix" many dishes. These are my favorite "fixers" depending, of course, on what I am "fixing":

Low sodium Kikkoman soy sauce
Pace Picante Sauce
Parmesan or Asiago Cheese
Dry potato flakes

And since I discovered Better Than Boullion it has become my favorite flavor enhancer when I need it.

 
Very interesting article. I've never used white pepper before but recently bought some.

I guess now I'll find out if I have a sensitivity to it too.

It is good to know that the suggested fixes helped save your peppery preparation!

 
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