Allspice Substitute

Allspice is the dried unripe fruit or berry of the pimenta dioica plant which belongs to species P. dioica and family Myrtaceae. Commonly known as pimento or Jamaica pepper, allspice is the berry of a small West Indian tree, belonging to the myrtle family. Known for its aromatic, shiny green leaves and white blooming flower, the tree grows up to a height of around 9 m or 30 ft. Its fruit or berry called allspice, is picked when it is green and unripe, and then dried under the sun. After drying the fruits turn brown and to a large extent resemble the large brown peppercorns. The allspice plant was discovered by some Japanese explorers in Jamaica early in the 16th century. Since the fruits appeared like pepper, they named it Jamaican pepper and the term pimento was the Spanish translation for peppercorn. However, the name 'allspice' was later given to this spice since it is said to have aroma of several other species like cloves, pepper and even cinnamon and nutmeg.

Known for its intense flavor and aroma, allspice is used as a spice worldwide. Especially, in Caribbean cuisine, it forms one of the most important ingredients. It is an indispensable ingredient in many commercial sausage preparations, curry powders, sauces, pickling, etc. In Middle Eastern cuisine and Palestinian cuisine, allspice serves as a sole spice for flavoring different stews and meat dishes. Due to its distinctive aroma and flavor, allspice is also used in many dessert recipes like cakes, puddings, cookies, etc. The leaves and wood of the allspice plant are also used for different culinary purposes. Especially in Island cooking, fresh allspice leaves which are similar in texture to bay leaves are generally used. The leaves are infused during cooking but removed while serving. Allspice is available is in both whole berry or grounded form. However, for more intense flavor and longer shelf life, it is better to use and store allspice in its grounded form.

Substitute for Allspice

Quite often you might have come across situations where you want to make a recipe that calls for allspice but when you open your kitchen cupboard what you see is an empty allspice jar. Well, you need not worry, as here allspice recipes can be easily made and can be a real-time saver for those last-minute needs. The below given allspice alternatives basically uses a mixture of other common spices that are readily available and can be stored like other spices.

Ingredients

• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp clove
• ½ tsp nutmeg

Directions

Grind and mix together all the spices. This will give you one tsp of the equivalent of allspice.

Another substitute

Ingredients

• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp clove
• ¼ tsp nutmeg
• ¼ tsp black pepper

Directions

For a higher quantity of allspice, just double the spice amounts and grind them together. For longer shelf life, make sure you store these grounded spices in an air tight container.

Hence, the aforementioned substitutes for allspice are not only easy to prepare but they offer some flavor and texture to the food items. So days when you are running short of allspice, prepare these substitutes, use in your recipes and enjoy with your loved ones.