Essential Pantry Whole White Peppercorns 2 oz Harvesting stretches from April to September, with the peak season in May and June. Traditionally, up to 80% of the crop is processed into black pepper, with the remainder being turned into white pepper. Fully ripened pepper berries, yellow to red in color, are harvested for processing into white pepper. The berries are separated from the stalk, filled into jute bags, and soaked in fresh running water to remove the pericarp. This process of retting takes about two weeks. Thereafter, the berries are washed several times in rattan baskets to remove the stalks and the pericarp (outer layer) before the peppercorns are left to dry in the sun for two to three days. White pepper is hotter but simpler. Stripping the skin removes most of those aromatic top notes, leaving a more direct, fermented, and almost musty heat. It's sharper on the palate but less complex on the nose. Some describe it as "barn-like" or earthy in a funky way.
