Here's How You Can Grind Pepper Without A Grinder On Hand

Freshly ground pepper is the perfect complement to top off your favorite dishes or seasonal soups, meats, and more. Given the many different types of peppercorns and uses for each one, it's important to know what kind of pepper works best for what dish and, what's more, how to grind each variety to the right consistency for culinary application. If you've found yourself with a big batch of peppercorns and no grinder to speak of, don't panic. There are a number of simple ways to grind pepper without a grinder, including using a mortar and pestle. Rely on your blender for a larger batch, use a rolling pin to flatten a sealed plastic bag filled with peppercorns, or take a tip from the Barefoot Contessa herself and learn how Ina Garten uses a coffee grinder for spices.

For those of you who don't have a lot of room in your kitchen, it's an excellent idea to find multiple uses for your favorite kitchen gadgets. Buying whole spices in bulk can help you save money and keep your spices fresher for longer by portioning out just enough to grind and use for your specific dish. If you're being economical with your kitchen space, try one of these quick tips to crush, crack, and grind your pepper easily and effectively sans a handheld grinder.

If you're working with just a small amount, grinding up whole peppercorns is fairly simple to do with a few different methods. For starters, if it's just a matter of a small handful of peppercorns, you can use the flat side of a chef's knife and a little bit of force to crack your pepper. For more than just a few peppercorns, one of the best uses for your mortar and pestle is grinding up whole spices into the ideal consistency. Depending on the size of your mortar and pestle, this can accommodate a sizable handful of peppercorns done in small batches to ensure consistency. Alternatively, you can load your peppercorns into a coffee filter and carefully use the flat side of a culinary mallet to crush the corns down to size.

For slightly larger quantities, try grabbing a plastic bag and sealing up your peppercorns inside before using a heavy rolling pin in place of a grinder. If you have an even more substantial amount of peppercorns to grind into a smaller size, you can also repurpose your blender or food processor for the job — so long as you have enough peppercorns to make contact with the blade. This is also an excellent opportunity to turn your coffee grinder into a multipurpose device. With a little bit of creativity and elbow grease, grinding your whole peppercorns is a breeze.