Pimento Berry Oil (also known as Allspice oil, Jamaican Pepper and Pimento) is steam distilled from dried, crushed, fully grown, but unripe fruits of the West Indian tree, Pimento Officinal is. The tree is native to the West Indies and grows abundantly in the wild on many of the islands, particularly Jamaica.
Pimento is used extensively by the food industry for flavoring foods. Its other common name, Allspice, comes from the fact that it tastes like a mixture of cloves, juniper berry, cinnamon and pepper. The oil is also widely used in perfumery, primarily to create men's fragrances.

Allspice, also called Jamaica pepper, pepper, myrtle pepper, pimento, English pepper or new spice, is a spice that is the dried unripe fruit (berries) of Pimento dioica, a mid-canopy tree native to the Greater Antilles, southern Mexico and Central America, now cultivated in many warm parts of the world. The name allspice was coined as early as 1621 by the English, who thought it combined the flavor of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.

Allspice is the dried fruit of the Pimento dioica plant. The fruit are picked when green and unripe and are traditionally dried in the sun. When dry, the fruit are brown and resemble large brown peppercoms. The whole fruit have a longer shelf life than the powdered product and produce a more aromatic product when freshly ground before use.

Fresh leaves are used where available. They are similar in texture to bay leaves and are thus infused during cooking and then removed before serving. Unlike bay leaves, they lose much flavor when dried and stored, so do not figure in commerce. The leaves and wood are often used for smoking meats where allspice is a local crop. Allspice can also be found in essential oil form.

The tree, which can go on bearing fruit until about 100 years old, first fruits when 3 years old, after a mass of flowers in June, July and August. The valuable elements of the fruit are found primarily in the outer rind of the berries, and the whole berry is ground for the oil. The berry must be picked unripe: if allowed to mature, the properties and aroma would be lessened. Small branches of berries are dried in the sun for some days and then the berries are removed for distillation.

Pimento oil is volatile, very light oil, at first yellow and gradually becoming darker (its specific color is due to substances as yet unknown). The smell of the trees and berries is reminiscent of clove, juniper and cinnamon with a dash of black pepper. The oil is very similar.

Uses: Its prime uses in aromatherapy are for flatulence and rheumatism. For the former, use crushed berries in flatulence-causing foods.
Indigenous to Central America, Caribbean Islands and Jamaica, this herb has been in use in the folklore medicine of Mexico during the Pre-Hispanic period and the traditional Jamaicans used this remedial herb in tea and as a tonic for healing menstrual cramps, stomach problems and cold. The Haitian inhabitants in Cuba used Allspice in herbal preparations for treating digestive disorders and toning the stomach.

Allspice essential oil is also known to be used in food industry for flavoring frozen food items. Its antioxidant effects have made its use compelling in meat preservation. Dentists use eugenic as a trusted antiseptic and local anesthetic for treating problems with gum and teeth. Pimento berry essential oil contains rich eugenic content that makes it a promising agent for treating halitosis and other dental problems.

 

Allspice herb and its oil have been historically used for curing gastrointestinal problems, cramps, rheumatic pain and toothache. Pimento leaves were used in the Dominican Republic in tea for reducing vomiting and the Western herbal medicine makes use of Allspice extracts in making plasters for treating rheumatic and neuralgic pains. Allspice water and Allspice oil were recognized by the British Pharmacopeia in 1898. This herb was also trusted to help quitting bad habits, breaking magical spells and guarding against evil powers.