What exactly is allspice? Is there any substitute?

Question

My recipe for squash soup calls for allspice.

Answer 1

According to wikipedia:

Allspice, also called Jamaica pepper, Myrtle pepper, pimento , or newspice, is a spice which is the dried unripe fruit of the Pimenta dioica plant. The name "allspice" was coined by the English, who thought it combined the flavour of several spices, such as cloves, pepper, and even cinnamon and nutmeg.

You could substitute a little clove, nutmeg and mace, or nutmeg, cinnamon and pepper, or something similar. If you used stick cinnamon (steeped) you could leave the pepper out.

Can I please have a bowl when it's ready? Thanks!

Answer 2

Allspice, also called Jamaica pepper, Myrtle pepper, pimento [1] , or newspice, is a spice which is the dried unripe fruit of the Pimenta dioica plant. The name "allspice" was coined by the English, who thought it combined the flavour of several spices, such as cloves, pepper, and even cinnamon and nutmeg.

If you don't have any allspice on hand I'd substitute any or all of the above. If the recipe calls for 1 t. of allspice I'd use 1/4 t. of each of the above. I have to admit that when I made squash soup I also add ginger to give it a little bit more kick.

Answer 3

You might want to substitute nutmeg because Allspice comes from the same nutmeg tree and Allspice is the fleshy part of the nutmeg itself but with a characteristic different yet similar flavor.

Answer 4

Allspice is a real spice that grows on a plant and is dried and ground. It got its name because it smells and tastes like a blend of spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove, mainly.) You can use a little of each of those to replace it. Just be sure it adds up to the right amount, or any delicate flavor your squash soup had will be drastically overpowered.

Answer 5

Allspice is the single berry with a flavor reminiscent of Cloves, Cinnamon, and a hint of Nutmeg.
Allspice is a the "dried unripe berry" of a small West Indian tree of the myrtle family.
The green Allspice berries are picked and then dried.
Allspice is available as whole berries or ground. Grinding your own whole berries provides the most intense flavor and longest shelf life.
Whole allspice is used in stocks, when poaching fish, vegetables, fruit, pickles, and for baking. Ground, it is found in spice cakes puddings, cookies, gravies.
Allspice can be an interesting spice in barbecuing.

To substitute for allspice:
Combine equal parts of ground cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and black pepper.
One teaspoon ground allspice is equivalent to approximate 5 whole berries.

Answer 6

I looked this up before because I didn't want to buy a whole jar of it for one tablespoon in a recipe. I really didn't care for it. It is a very strong spice and I used it in a swedish meatballs recipe. I think that it would be really good in something sweet, such as bread or muffins. You might want to try something else unless you want the soup to taste sweet. If you decide to go with the allspice, this may help:

http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/sr_allspice.htm

I wouldn't use the full amount though, as it's very strong
I agree with Diana about the ginger, that sounds yummy!

Answer 7

You could probably substitute nutmeg for it. They're not the same but nutmeg is good with squash.

Answer 8

I think you could come pretty close to a substitute if you mixed up cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, mace and a teeny-teeny-tiny dash of black pepper.

Answer 9

Allspice is crushed cloves. Nutmeg can be used as an alternative.

Answer 10

Then get some, there is no substitute that will make the blend and tatse right. Allspice is a blend of spices