Peppers

flyinglentris

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I started this thread as a spin-off from the salads thread where a discussion on peppers was taking place.

There are many varieties of peppers and a primary feature of peppers is how hot they are. This is measured in Scoville Heat Units (SHU). SHUs range from 0 for bell peppers to over 3,000,000 for a specially cultivated pepper called pepper X. The heat of a pepper is due to the concentration of a chemical called capsaicin.

The primary location of capsaicin in a pepper is in its heart, the part that holds the seeds.

I have also noted from the salad thread discussion that some peppers share a name in Europe and in the US, but are not the same pepper. Serrano peppers in the USA are not the same as Serrano peppers in Europe. It is helpful to discuss these differences, especially in light of their mention in recipes. So, this thread can serve to enlighten in this regard.

Also, some peppers look very much alike, but are not the same, having marked differences in SHU values, in particular.

Identifying specific peppers and why one would choose to use them in a recipe is a perfect discussion element for this thread.
 
Has anyone tried a purple bell pepper so far? They look pretty cool and I would like to know what's the difference in taste to the bitter green ones and the sweet red ones.
Stay healthy
 
Has anyone tried a purple bell pepper so far? They look pretty cool and I would like to know what's the difference in taste to the bitter green ones and the sweet red ones.
Stay healthy

Bell pepper cultivars come in green, yellow, red and purple. I don't think many people recognize flavor differences in them and use them solely to give color to meal preparations.
 
Bell pepper cultivars come in green, yellow, red and purple. I don't think many people recognize flavor differences in them and use them solely to give color to meal preparations.
Green bell peppers definitely taste different than red ones. The red ones are much sweeter, where the green ones have a sharper, maybe more bitter taste.

Yellow and orange ones taste the same to me, though.
 
The peppers that I use most frequently are ...

US Serrano
Anaheim
Cayenne
Paprika
Poblano/Ancho
Habanero

Cayenne pepper is usually used as a powder, dry flakes or a sauce.
Paprika is always a powder.
Poblanos may be whole, but mature dried poblanos are called anchos and are ground to make chili powder.

I use the following peppers less frequently ...

Banana
Peperoncini
Jalapeno
Bell
Cubanelle
Scotch Bonnets
Thai peppers and Thai red bird peppers
Tobasco

Tobasco peppers are always used as a sauce.
Banana and peperoncini peppers are almost always pickled in vinegar and bottled. I use them sometimes on pizzas.
 
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The peppers that I use most frequently are ...

US Serrano
Anaheim
Cayenne
Paprika
Poblano/Ancho
Habanero

Cayenne pepper is usually used as a powder, dry flakes or a sauce.
Paprika is always a powder.
Poblanos may be whole, but mature dried poblanos are called anchos and are ground to make chili powder.

I use the following peppers less frequently ...

Jalapeno
Bell
Cubanelle
Scotch Bonnets
Thai peppers and Thai red bird peppers
Tobasco

Tobasco peppers are always used as a sauce.

We have most of those growing and picking daily.chillies and capsicums. I love capsicums with kebabs.

Russ
 
The peppers I use the most (MrsT is generally not a fan of peppers):

Red bell peppers
Jarred banana peppers
Cubanelle
Jalapeño

In the spice rack:
Chili powder
Cayenne
Red pepper flakes
 
I used to grow a variety of malagueta pepper called jindungo. My grandfather was born in Angola and jindungo is the main variety there. Grandpa said jindungo was really hot, but the ones I was growing were really mild, probably because the soil and the weather in Portugal were not the same as in the hot Angola climate and I was growing them indoors anyway. "Proper" jindungo is really hot, absolutely great.
 
As far as I know, the difference between green and red here is the maturation. The green ones are harvested before the pepper is mature, when it gets its maturity the pepper is red. Greens are a bit bitter and red swetter. Pepper is present at least in the 50% of spanish dishes, and we have many varieties in size shape and taste. But never had the orange nor the yellows here, until some years ago in malls and supermarkets. We have used traditionally some varieties in red and others in green because they were better for different uses. Now you can get any variety in red or green as you want. But we always use the so called "italian pepper" in green to saute, stews, vegetable sauces, salads and even it fried in a plenty of olive oil. It's around 25 cm long and 5cm wide.
pimiento-italiano.jpeg

The other one we most use to cook is "morrón", around 15 cm long and 12 cm wide,more fleshy and sweet. It is also used to sautes and stews, but they work really good stuffed or not in the over, we also make a salad with them roasted and cut in strips.
article-10-beneficios-deportivos-pimientos-morrones-57d8036f67393_4_380x218.jpeg


None of these varieties are hot. And they are the most "daily used"
My hometown is surrounded by many of cultivated fields of pepper. Here was one of the places where the pepper was planted when they brought it from America, and since them it grows here really good. Here is a variety which is called "Jaranda" and is cultivated to make what we here call "pimentón" also known in all the world as paprika. The one which is made here is internationally recognized as one of the best, and it is different because the variety of the pepper and over all, cause the pepper is not sundried, here they dry the pepper before grind, smoking it with the wood of a holm oak which grows here too. It gives to the powder a unmistakable flavor. During hundred of years this paprika was mostly used to make the charcuterie of the iberian pork, and to preserve and maintain the meat. In fact, it's one of the most important ingredients of chorizo. Now it is also used to cook, but you have to take into account that it is very dominant, and very sensible to the high temperatures (it can get burnt and tastes bitter). We have also hot peppers, and more, but I don't want to do a very large post. If somebody wants to know more about this, feel free to ask.
Here I leave a vid of how this paprika is made , there are many factories here, but this one is so well known internationally, and is based here in my hometown.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4voK4BpWkNc
 
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