Fresh Chili Peppers Category

Fresh Chili Peppers

Chilies = chile peppers = chiles = chilis = chillies = chili peppers = aji peppers (in South America and the Caribbean) can be eaten raw, grilled, or roasted. Chilies vary in heat as measured by the Scoville scale, and range from 0 for the mild bell pepper to 200,000 or so for the sweat-inducing habanero chili to 1,500,000 for the legendary Carolina Reaper. Individual varieties also get hotter and redder as they ripen.


Fresh chilies are usually milder than their dried counterparts. To tone one down, (1) put on some gloves and remove the seeds and ribs; (2) char it over a grill or flame, then remove any blackened skin; and/or (3) soak it in cold water or vodka.


Bell and Anaheim peppers are best for stuffing and jalapeno and Fresno peppers are commonly used in salsas.


Varieties:

Anaheim chili, Anaheim chile, California green chili, california red chili
Anaheim chili
These large, mild chiles are perfect for chiles rellenos. Mexican cooks also like to dice or purée them, and then add them to sauces, soups, and casseroles. They have a tough skin, but it peels off easily if you first char the chiles over a flame and then steam them in a paper bag for several minutes. Anaheims are available year-round, but they're best in the summer. You can occasionally find red Anaheims, which are riper and slightly hotter. When dried, this pepper is called a chile Colorado.
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cayenne pepper - fresh, bird pepper, finger chili, ginnie pepper
cayenne pepper - fresh
These are often used in Cajun recipes. Green cayennes appear in the summer, while hotter red cayennes come out in the fall. They are very hot.
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cherry pepper, cherry bell pepper, bird cherry pepper, Creole cherry pepper
cherry pepper
Along with pepperoncini, this is a good pickling pepper. They are moderately hot, and range in color from orange to bright red.
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chilaca pepper, chile chilaca
chilaca pepper
When dried, a chilaca pepper is called a pasilla chile. They are mild.
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cuaresmeno - fresh
cuaresmeno - fresh
They are moderately hot.
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Fresno pepper, Fresno chile pepper, Fresno chili pepper
Fresno pepper
These are similar to jalapeno peppers, but with thinner walls. They're great in salsas. Green Fresnos are available in the summer. the hotter red ones come out in the fall.
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ghost pepper
ghost pepper
Ghost peppers are a very hot (over 1,000,000 scovilles) hybrid between Capsicum chinese and Capsicum frutescens. It is grown and used in northern India.
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guero pepper, caloro, caribe, chile guero, goldspike, Sante Fe grande
guero pepper
These are moderately hot.
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habanero - fresh, habanero pepper
habanero - fresh
These extremely hot orange chiles have a fruity flavor. They're best in the summertime.
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jalapeno pepper , jalapeño Pepper
jalapeno pepper
These popular chilis have a good amount of heat and rich flavor. Green jalapenos are best in the late summer, while red jalapenos appear in the fall. Canned jalapenos aren't as fiery as fresh. When dried and smoked, this pepper is called a chipotle.
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manzana chili, manzana chile
manzana chili
This habanero relative is often used in salsas. It has black seeds. These are hot.
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mirasol pepper
mirasol pepper
Mirasol peppers have a distinctive fruity flavor. These are moderately hot. When dried, these are called Guajillo chiles.
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New Mexico green chili, New Mexico chile, New Mexico red chile
New Mexico green chili
These large chilies are similar in size to Anaheims, but they're hotter. New Mexico green chilies peak in the late summer, while the hotter New Mexico red chilies appear in the fall. These are moderately hot.
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poblano pepper , ancho chile, pasilla pepper
poblano pepper
These mild, heart-shaped peppers are large and have very thick walls, which make them great for stuffing. They're best in the summer. When dried, this pepper is called an Ancho chili.
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rocotillo pepper
This is a small, sweet, mild pepper that looks like someone stepped on it. It's fruity-tasting like a habanero, only not nearly as hot.
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rocoto chili, rocoto chile
rocoto chili
These very hot chiles look like tiny bell peppers and have black seeds. They have an interesting fruity flavor.
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Scotch bonnet chili, Scotch bonnet chile
Scotch bonnet chili
This extremely hot pepper is almost indistinguishable from the habanero, except that it's a bit smaller and has a fruitier flavor. It's popular in the Caribbean.
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Serrano pepper
Serrano pepper
These have thin walls, so they don't need to be charred, steamed, and peeled before using. They are moderately hot. When dried, this is called a chile seco.
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shishito chili, shishito chile
shishito chili
This Japanese chile is very sweet and mild with a grassy flavor. It's about two inches long.
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Thai chili pepper - fresh, Thai chile pepper, bird pepper, prik chi fa
Thai chili pepper - fresh
These are extremely hot.
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Turkish green pepper , sivri biber
Turkish green pepper
These are long, green, and hot chili peppers. Turks like to grill them and serve them with meat. Don't confuse this fresh pepper with the spice called Turkish pepper.
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xcatic chili
These fresh yellow peppers are long, curved, and very hot.
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yellow wax pepper , Hungarian wax chile pepper, hot Hungarian wax pepper
yellow wax pepper
These are easily confused with milder banana peppers. Sample before using. They are moderately hot.
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