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All About Fresh Chile Peppers
From mild to hot—you can’t beat the heat of vibrant and enticing chile peppers.
It seems like everyone is getting on the spicy bandwagon and eating more hot-and-spicy foods than ever before—even in Grandma’s kitchen. She often turns to fresh chile peppers, ranging from very spicy to slightly peppery to even slight sweet, to add zip and zest (not to mention heat) to all kinds of dishes and condiments. Fortunately, a wide variety of shapes, sizes, colors and varieties of chiles are available at farmers’ markets, natural food stores and neighborhood groceries.
Chile peppers range in heat from quite mild to very very hot. The rule of thumb is that the smaller the pepper, the more the heat—but be careful because there are exceptions to this rule so it’s possible to come across a large pepper with plenty of fire power. (And remember that a little acid (like lime juice or vinegar) mixed with sugar will soften and balance chile’s heat.)
Buying and storing chiles: Look for peppers with smooth, unbroken skin and no blemishes. Try to use them as soon as possible, but if you must store them, wrap in paper towels and place in a plastic bag. Don’t seal the bag (so the chiles can breathe a little) and store in the fridge; most chiles will stay fresh for one to three weeks.
From tamest to fieriest, here’s a rundown on the most popular chile peppers.
Anaheim: Like a bell pepper, but with a little bit of punch. Anaheims are pale green and 5 to 7 inches long. Terrific when grilled.
Cubanelle: Also known as Italian frying pepper, a very mild green to yellow pepper that is about 6 inches long. Good for stuffing and roasting.
Banana: Waxy looking, pale yellow when unripe, ripens to red-orange. Thin skinned, so no need to peel. Good raw in salads.
Poblano: Heart-shaped, 5-inch pepper with bracing flavor. Usually quite hot, but you can find milder varieties. Usually a deep dark green with black splotches. Traditional chile used for chiles rellenos (stuffed peppers).
New Mexican Green: Usually medium-hot with a warm flavor, but they can range from milder to hotter. Green, about 6 inches long. Grill and peel to use in stews, chili, tacos and quesadillas.
Jalapeno: Small (2 to 3 inches long), hot, dark green plump peppers. Occasionally you’ll see red jalapenos—grab them for their sweeter taste. Their thick flesh makes them great for grilling; also good raw in salsa.
Serrano: A hot bright green that ripens to bright red, just 2 inches long. The hottest chile you’ll find in most supermarkets. Great when finely minced and added to salsa.
Thai and Cayenne: Two related chiles, 2 to 3 inches long (or longer for cayennes), hotter than the more common serrano, but not as sharp. They have tons of seeds, so use them whole in stews and stir-fries (remove before serving).
Habanero: Also known as Scotch bonnet, considered the hottest chile—100 times as hot as its jalapeno cousin. Just 2 by 2 inches and yellow or orange in color (or occasionally light green or red). Aficionados say they have a floral citrusy flavor, but most people can’t detect it through all that heat. Discard the seeds and use sparingly in relishes, or in cooked or fresh salsa.
Discover terrific ways to use fresh chiles—go to Add Spice with Fresh Chile Peppers.
