Buck's Spices

Spice Barista Corner

Spice Barista

From the Spice Barista

What's the difference between your air dried and freeze dried Tasmanian Mountain Pepperberries, and do I get a full ounce either way?

A real customer question, curated into a useful guide for cooking, product use, and finding just the right thing.

Yes — we sell by weight, so an order for an ounce of Tasmanian Mountain Pepperberry - Dried or Tasmanian Mountain Pepperberry - Freeze Dried! gives you a full ounce by weight either way.

One handy note: because freeze dried berries are lighter and airier, an ounce of them will take up noticeably more space in the jar than an ounce of the air dried.

  • Grinding: Air dried berries are hard and dense, so they need a good pepper mill, spice grinder, or mortar and pestle. Freeze dried berries are brittle and crumble easily into a fine powder with little effort — render them without a grinder just before use and keep the container tightly sealed, since they pull moisture from the air quickly.
  • Uses: Air dried is great whole in a mill, or infused into oils, brines, stocks, and slow-cooked dishes where it has time to release flavor.

Freeze dried is better for finishing and blending — spice rubs, seasoning blends, sprinkling over dishes, baking, and adding a beautiful purple color to a mix. Some folks crack it over vanilla ice cream for a lovely purple bleed!

  • Flavor: Both share that warm, peppery heat with a fruity, slightly sweet finish.