The key of the tap de cortí sweet pepper, used for preserving Majorcan sobrasada and giving it its characteristic orangey red colour, is its great antioxidant power.
The pepper that comes from Mallorca was at risk from genetic erosion. In 2008 Especias Crespí started to cultivate it, encouraging its use once again.
Especias Crespí controls the whole production cycle of the pepper, from seeding to packaging. They follow ecological agricultural regulations. Harvest is from August to October, when the aim is to select only the most mature peppers. This way there is a greater presence of vitamins C and E as well as sugars and the colouring is optimal. Pepper with a high quality level reach 120 units of colour; Especias Crespí’s tap de cortí pimento obtains between 155 and 170 units of colour.
The peppers are placed in baskets so they never come into direct contact with the floor and are kept well aired. At the Especias Crespí plant they again select the most mature peppers and begin the process with the pimento being the final product. First they dry the peppers, keeping the seeds, as that is where the vitamins are, and removing the stalks. Afterwards they are put through a stone grinder six times, with a 24 period break in between for the pimento to cool down. After a sifting process and an analysis to check the sugar, vitamin and colour levels, they proceed to package the pepper in different formats.