Hot peppers/chilis

[Dana]

A friend gave us a bunch of hot peppers - a couple handfuls of serranos, both red and green, a couple of poblanos, about 5 habeneros, and a sack full of what he calls 'longhorn' peppers. They are red and look like longhorns, and seem to be in the medium hotness range. (apparently they are very prolific) I don't have a clue as to what to do with all these - some kind of relish?, maybe a hot sauce?

Any suggestions?

[Sam Salmon]

Slice 3 Habaneros in half place in a bottle of Vodka for 3 days then remove.

Keep Vodka in freezer for when you need a lift.

Make a Ristra from the Longhorns by threading them on a strong piece of something to decorate your kitchen.They'll smell great too-for a while anyway.

[Malawry]

You can put some of your peppers in vinegar (white wine is probably best) and store them for a long time. Use the vinegar to season your greens in the dead of winter for a kick.

I like pepper jelly, too.

[tryska]

you could make hot sauce or some sofrito to use later on as seasonings...that's what my roommates planning on doing with the peppers she got this year.

here's a bunch of sofrito recipes. they seem light on the chili, but we don't eat like that in my house.

http://www.caribbeanseeds.com/sofrito.htm

Edited August 5, 2004 by tryska (log)

[evilhomer]

a mixed pepper jelly if you want to bother is an amazing thing to have around, a bit time consuming but not difficult or even particularly fussy.

otherwise pickle them, poke a small hole in each first or they'll float, make a simple brine and process them, let them sit a good month before eating to remove the raw edge. Then they're great everywhere, tossed with pasta, in sandwiches, on pizza, in potato salad, with some cheese or cured meat, a pickled pepper is a versatile thing.

you can also stuff them with cream cheese (remove the seeds and ribs first, leaving the pepper as intact as possible), batter and fry them. I've made it as a fun and fatty side dish for tilapia fillets but you can eat them on their own quite happily.

[Jason Perlow]

Put the longhorns in a food drier or cook them on a baking sheet at like 150 degrees to totally dry them out, then crush them to use as pepper flakes.

If you want to make hot sauce, cook the hot ones (habaneros, longhorns) in a saucepan with a cup of vinegar for 5 minutes or so until soft. Thow them with the vinegar from pan into blender with salt (a lot) and some black pepper. Optionally add fruit like apples or mango or citrus juice, blend up. Put in bottles, refrigerate.

The Serranos and Poblanos are good chopped up and cooked in rice with chicken stock, tomatoes and safrron -- that will give you Mexican Rice.

[lovebenton0]

If you want a great kick ass sprinkle vinegar sauce pack a bottle with a sliced habanero, a few whole serranos and sliced longhorns, also a clove or two of garlic. Fill with a heated vinegar, salt and tidge of sugar mixture. Old soy sauce bottles are great for this as they already have a sprinkler. Let sit on shelf for a couple weeks before using. The beauty of this method is that it keeps on giving -- you can refill the bottle with more vinegar solution at least twice allowing some shelf time, but only takes a few days for refills.

I use this method for a percentage of my tabasco peppers every year that I don't make into red vinegar tabasco sauce. Also with a variety of other peppers such as suggested for an entirely different kick.

[bobmac]

When a recipe -- Asian or Mexican is where I usually encounter this -- calls for a minced pepper, does it mean the seeds, too, since those and the membranes are the real heat? I suppose the answer is in how hot you want it, but what is the general intent?

[Tri2Cook]

I'd think that would be a textural decision, that's about all the seeds really add.

[rancho_gordo]

I'd think that would be a textural decision, that's about all the seeds really add.

←

If you like hot food and the chiles are fresh, like jalapeños or serranos, I'd always include the seeds. Roasted poblanos get no seeds for me.

Dried hydrated chiles are generally seeded except in some recipes, like for cascabels, you roast and grind the seeds and add to some dishes.

The black seeds from a manzano/peron chile are supposed to be toxic.

[Dave the Cook]

Seeds can add a little heat, because they're next to the placenta which, as you point out, is where the heat is produced. I take them out, just like with bell peppers, unless I'm blending them into a sauce.

[djyee100]

A well-written recipe will tell you to seed the pepper if that's what the recipe writer intends for best results.

But then, of course, many recipes don't say, which raises the question whether the writer wants you to add the seeds, or whether the writer just plain forgot to address the matter.

The itty-bitty Thai peppers are routinely not seeded for cooking (you would have too much trouble trying to do this, anyway). For other peppers, it's optional.

Ultimately, it's up to you!

Edited July 31, 2008 by djyee100 (log)

[Reconstructing Dinner]

I think that there's a psychological aspect to this question, as well. Seeds suggest spicy -- not bell peppers, of course, but then this is a chili thread. I tend to like to emphasize the spiciness, so I would leave them in. I often serve home-pickled or fresh sliced chilies as an accompaniment -- whether the seeds actually make them hotter may be up for debate, but they LOOK hot.

RD

Edited July 31, 2008 by Reconstructing Dinner (log)

[eatrustic]

If the name Dianna Kennedy means anything .... she says to put the whole thing in, seeds and all (her tone of voice indicated that to do less was wimping out on the recipe).

[christian_ramon]

I have about 40 little Thai ornamental peppers that I grew this summer. They grow like crazy. I ate a raw one for the hell of it. What a bad idea. It was brutally hot. Does anybody have any recipes for making oils, marmalades or anything else interesting. I also have a few habanero plants that are starting to yield some beautiful little red/orange habaneros. Any recipes would be greatly appreciated.

[djyee100]

The "little Thai ornamental peppers" you're talking about are Thai bird chiles, I assume. You can dry them on a plate in a well-ventilated area, preferably in the sun. Then use them as you would use any small dried chile pepper, such as dried cayenne chile peppers. Thai bird peppers are hotter than cayenne peppers.

If you're into Thai food, you can make Nahm Prik Pow, a sweet-hot chili paste that you can add in cautious amounts to Asian dishes for spiciness. My cooking teacher Kasma Loha-Unchit's recipe is here: http://www.thaifoodandtravel.com/recipes/nahmprikpow.pdf

At the top of page 2 of this recipe are instructions for roasting the dried chiles on the stovetop. I like to roast my dried chiles until they are lightly browned and a little charred. Then I grind them in a spice grinder with a pinch of salt to make a wonderfully fragrant, toasted chile powder. And yes, it's very hot!

For the habaneros, you could make a roasted chile puree. Combine 7 or 8 roasted and peeled habanero chiles, 1/4 cup oil, 2 tsp white vinegar, and a generous amt of salt. Puree everything in a blender. Keep the puree in a jar in the fridge. You can add it like chile paste to various dishes (soups, stews, sauces), or spread it lightly on pizza dough as a base for other toppings. I like to spread it on flour tortillas, with white cheddar & some freshly chopped cilantro, for yummy quesadillas.

Edited September 19, 2008 by djyee100 (log)

[merstar]

I've always wanted to make this - was recommended by a friend - uses 6 large poblano peppers: STUFFED CHA-CHA CRAB CHILIES. Will PM the recipe to you if you're interested.

Edited September 19, 2008 by merstar (log)

[kellytree]

A friend of mine brought me 2 big hot pepper plants over last night filled with lots of peppers so I will make tuna stuffed peppers this weekend with them.

They are easy to make and everybody loves them.

http://www.lelekelly.com/tunapeppers.htm

[Doodad]

Hot sauce, salsa and a curry paste.