I mulled some cider yesterday. I accidentally pulled down the jar of peppercorns instead of the jar of allspice berries, and dumped a lot in the pot. Then I noticed they were peppercorns and fished them out. I rinsed the cider from them, and left them in a sieve to drain.
The cider was great.
How much did I damage the peppercorns? Are they worth putting back in the bottle, or should I just toss them?
Was the cider peppery?
Not that I noticed. I fished them or pretty quickly.
But I also added allspice, cinnamon, star anise, and fresh ginger. A little pepper wouldn’t have been obvious.
I’d use this as an excuse to make pepper encrusted somthingorother.
Not in my wheelhouse. But not a bad idea. I should think about that.
I’d just dry them as best you can; rinse, pat dry with paper towels, maybe spread them out on a cookie sheet and put them in the oven for a few minutes. If they don’t become moldy or develop “a smell,” they’re probably fine.
I’m usually of the “use it, don’t toss it” persuasion but I would think that the cider would soak the peppercorns pretty quickly and might impart a sweet taste where you don’t want it. My suggestion is dry them, make an egg, and taste. Report back here so we can all learn something.
Worst case scenario:
You use the peppercorns in a recipe and it turns out fantastic!!
You then have to repeat the recipe, starting each time with soak peppercorns briefly in cider. Remove peppercorns and discard cider.
Wrap them in festive paper and give them to somebody as a Christmas present, announcing that they are “locally-produced artisanal apple-scented marinated peppercorns.” That’d be one way to unload ‘em.
I throw a few peppercorns in when I’m spicing cider.
I might have left “a few”. This was a large handful. Maybe 50-100 in a half gallon of cider.
I’d make peposo/peposa, the Tuscan beef stew. It uses a lot of pepper corns and is braised with the assertive flavors of wine and garlic.
If by “a lot” you mean “12,” that’s one thing. Go ahead and use them, they’ll go quick. If you meant “a couple tablespoons,” that’s a different kettle of fish. Or chai, as it turns out.
ingredients:
1/2 cup green cardamom pods
10 cinnamon sticks, broken into small pieces
1 Tbsp whole cloves
1 Tbsp coriander seeds
2 Tbsp allspice berries
2 Tbsp candied ginger, chopped
2 Tbsp black peppercorns
1/4 cup star anise
See, the peppercorns are already flavored with the other spices you’d use in chai, plus a little cider.
It’s a little more than an eighth of a cup. And some of the peppercorns are slightly sticky, despite having been rinsed. I just spread them on a small plate and popped them in the toaster to dry.
They aren’t ruined from a culinary perspective, but I think the residual sugar might be bad for my pepper mill. “Pepper crusted something” or chai are looking like good options.
I’m the opposite. I’m in the ‘if you have to ask…’ camp. I would have thrown them away as I fished them out. I wouldn’t have given it any more thought than throwing away a raw chicken breast that I dropped in mop water. Just toss it.
Anyway, it’s probably too late now, but when they were still wet, I’d think the best thing you could do is put them on a sheetpan and toss them in the oven at a very low temp, 200ish or so. Just in an attempt to evaporate as much liquid as you can before it soaks in and dries.
ETA, I’d imagine they’ll work fine anyway. If they have any residual taste, use them in recipes that call for vinegar as well.
Here’s a suggestion: simply taste one! 
Oh, they aren’t spoiled, and of course they still taste like pepper. I fished them out almost right away. Pepper don’t lose its flavor all that fast.
But will they clog my peppermill? Is the flavor a little weaker? I think “pepper crusted dish” or “chai” would be totally fine. But I’m thinking I don’t want to toss them back in the bottle I keep peppercorns in.
Since you toasted them (and I’m assuming they aren’t sticky any more), they should probably go through your peppermill easier than before they went for a swim. When grinding one’s own spice mixes, the spices get toasted first to drive out all residual moisture so they grind up easier.
If you’re worried about clogging your pepper mill, try grinding them in an electric coffee mill before using them in a recipe.
Thanksgiving dinner if you do a fancy table, set each place with two salt cellars, one with salt and one with peppercorns. Enjoy the puzzled looks from your guests.