Peppercorns need pasteurizing?? Who knew? It never would have occurred to me that they are pasteurized. I get mine at Penzy's. It also never occurred to me that peppercorns could carry salmonella. How bizarre.

Sally

Imagine 15,000 small family farmers providing each a sack of peppercorns. Not very sanitary conditions. One fella in the village collects all the sacks. Then it goes on, and so on. 6-10 weeks to make it here.

If i did the same it would be rhubarb, lol...grows like a weed, and anything in the onion/allium family. It would leave my farm clean and organic, outhouse is down hill (and down wind)
Once it leaves me, who knows. I witnessed some fellas topple a stack of cabbages off a truck in Chinatown. All over the street and muddy gutter, scramble and gather and back into the crates.

Penzeys recall a few years ago was found by a random dept of ag test.

Bugs and their body parts, dirts and nature are no big deal and allowed by the FDA, in a reasonable amount. Its just protein.
Better testing methods, and quick, can trace the source much faster and contain the issue.
Lots of articles the past 10 yrs about better testing and sourcing and teaching sanitary practices from the get-go, the farmers. But they realize so much happens on the boat to here.

A recent article ...

Here is a link that might be useful: why pepper is dirty

"If I did the same it would be rhubarb."

Hit my funny bone.

I never ever thought about that. I'm a pepperholic. I don't think anything, even a little recall, can come between me and my pepper grinder. Luckily, the last batch of peppercorns I bought came from Penzey's, quite a while ago.

Sally

I use very little black pepper because in most cases I use cayenne or my smoked habanera sauce. I do use black pepper with mushrooms, however, as chilies can overpower mushrooms. I like black pepper, but I like chilies and red pepper better. I grew up eating hot sauce in the elementary school cafeteria, and it has been an ever-present condiment since I can remember.

I guess I am a chili-head!

Lars