Hot peppers (chilies) are often used to spice up dishes, and they are
especially popular in ethnic cuisine including Mexican, Indian, Thai,
Vietnamese, Arab and Spanish cooking. Chilies are an excellent source of
vitamin C if you can withstand their powerful bite.
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Chili
Peppers |
Serving Size
1/2 cup (75g)
46g
Amount Per Serving |
% Daily Value |
Calories 30 |
|
Calories from Fat 0g |
|
Total Fat
0g |
0% |
Saturated Fat 0g |
0% |
Cholesterol 0mg |
0% |
Sodium
5mg |
0% |
Total
Carbohydrate 7g |
2% |
Dietary
Fiber 1g |
4% |
Sugars
4g |
|
Protein 1g |
|
Vitamin
A |
20% |
Vitamin C |
300% |
Calcium |
2% |
Iron |
6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a
2,000 calorie diet.
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Contrary to popular belief, the hottest part of the chili pepper is not
the seeds but where the seed attaches to the white membrane inside the
pepper. This area has the highest concentration of capsaicinoids.
Capsaicinoids are flavorless, odorless substances that act on pain
receptors in the mouth and throat. Capsaicin is the primary capsaicinoid.
Capsaicinoids can be found throughout the flesh of chili peppers though
their concentration varies in different areas so that one part of a pepper
may be hot and another part of the same pepper quite mild.
The seeds are often hot because they are in such close contact with the
white membrane.
There are several varieties of chili peppers (see box below) and each
differs in flavor and heat intensity. Even within each variety, there may
differences in how ‘hot’ each particular chili is. Typically, larger chilies
are more mild because they contain less seeds and white membrane in
proportion to their size. Most varieties can be found dried, canned, or
fresh.
|
Anaheim (California Green Chile or Long Green Chile): One of the
most commonly used varieties in the United States, especially in stuffed
chiles. This chili is long, slender and lobed, green or red in color and
mildly hot. They can be eaten when green or when they are their mature
red color. |
|
Ancho: Dried or fresh poblano pepper. Dried anchos are flat, wrinkled,
and heart shaped. They range in color from very dark red to almost black. Anchos are mild to moderately hot and often soaked and ground for use in
sauces. |
|
Cascabel: Green or red, small and round, moderately hot and typically
available dried. When dried, their skin turns a translucent red-brown color
and their seeds rattle inside. |
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Cayenne (Long Hots): Red when fully mature, long (6 to 10 inches),
thin and straight or curled at the tips. Very hot. Cayenne can be found
dried and ground into a powder that is seen as generic "red pepper" in the
spice aisle. |
|
Cherry: Round and red like a cherry. Sold fresh or pickled in jars,
these peppers range from mild to moderately hot. |
|
Habanero (Scotch Bonnet): Typically yellow-orange but they can be
green, red, or orange. These peppers are lantern shaped and typically about 2
inches long. The hottest pepper grown commercially; intense fiery flavor; a
unique floral flavor and an extremely intense heat that affects the nasal
passages. |
|
Hungarian: These peppers start out yellow and ripen to orange or red;
they are moderately hot. |
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Jalapeńo: Most often green when mature but sometimes red, these
peppers are about 2 inches in length with cracks around their stems. They
are very hot, with an immediate bite. Jalapeńos are sold canned, sliced, and
pickled and are added to many products during processing including sausage,
cheese, and jelly. |
|
Poblano: Ancho peppers that are green. Poblano peppers look like
small bell peppers and are mild to hot in taste. They are often roasted and
peeled prior to being used in soups, sauces, casseroles or even stuffed with
meat and cheese for a dish called chilies rellenos. |
|
Serrano: Sold red or mature green and about 1 to 4 inches in length.
Moderate to very hot with an intense bite. Serrano chilis are often used in
Thai cooking and they are also quite popular in Mexico and the southwestern
United States. |
Chili peppers are available year round and in the United States they are grown in
California, New Mexico and Texas. When selecting chilies, look for firm,
glossy chilies with taut, unwrinkled skin and fresh green stems. Dried hot
peppers should be glossy yet unbroken.
Chilies should be stored unwashed and wrapped in paper towels in the
refrigerator for up to three weeks. Dried chilies should be stored in
airtight containers at room temperature for a maximum of four months. To
keep dried chilies for more than four months, store them in the
refrigerator.
It is very important not to touch your nose, eyes or mouth after handling
or eating hot peppers. If you do, flush with water immediately. The
capsaicin in the peppers can be extremely painful to your eyes and can even
burn or irritate your skin (especially if you have cuts on your hands).
If possible, wear thin rubber gloves while preparing chili peppers. Wash
hands thoroughly with soap and water when done working with chilies. If the
bite is too strong when you eat a chili, chew on bread or another starchy
food; water only makes the bite worse as it spreads it.
To decrease the heat intensity of chilies, wash them, cut them open and
remove the seeds and veins. Also, soaking cut up chilies in salt water for
at least an hour will help cool them off.
To add a mild pepper flavor to your dish, poke holes in the chili of your
choice with a toothpick (or cut slits in it) and add it to a food that is
already cooking. When cooking is complete, remove the chili from the dish.
Chilies can also be roasted whole over a gas stove, broiler, or on a grill.
Use a cooking fork to hold each pepper over flame. Turn frequently until the
chili’s skin is blackened. After cooking is complete, place chilies in a
paper or plastic bag for 15 minutes. Scrape off skin, cut off stem and pull
out core. Scrape any remaining seeds.
Use a damp cloth to wipe peppers. Grind chilies in a food processor for
use as chili powder. To soften their texture and make their flavor more
mild, soak chili peppers in water prior to using.
Recipes
Cherry
Pepper Salad
Makes 4 servings
Each serving equals 1 1/2 cups fruit or vegetables
Source: foodreference.org
Ingredients
1¼ cup fresh sweet cherries, pitted
1 cup each thinly sliced sweet yellow and green peppers
¼ cup thinly sliced mild chili pepper
2 Tbsp finely chopped onion
2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
½ Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp pickled ginger strips, optional
4 cups mixed greens
Toss together all ingredients except greens; refrigerate 1 hour or
longer. Serve on mixed greens.
Nutritional analysis per serving: Calories 80, Protein 2g, Fat 2g,
Calories From Fat 23%, Cholesterol 0mg, Carbohydrates 15g, Fiber 3g,
Sodium 100mg.
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