Popular Chiles

POBLANO
Scoville Heat Units: 1,000 – 2,000 SHU

The poblano is a popular Mexican chili pepper, very dark green in color, ripening to dark red or brown. They are mild, large and are heart-shaped. The poblano is an extremely popular Mexican chili pepper. The pods typically grow 4 inches long, are a very dark green in color, ripening to dark red or brown. They are mostly picked when green for general cooking. They are mild peppers, quite large and are somewhat heart-shaped. Their skins/walls are somewhat thick, making them perfect for stuffing as they’ll hold up in the oven quite nicely. They are often roasted and peeled when cooking with them, or dried. When dried, they are called ancho chilis. Poblanos originated in Puebla, Mexico. They are one of the most popular peppers grown there. The poblano plant is multi-stemmed and can reach up to 25 inches high. The pods grow 3-6 inches long and 2-3 inches wide. Immature poblano peppers are deep purple-green in color, and eventually turn dark red and black as they age. They are closely related to the mulato chili.

COMMON USES OF POBLANO PEPPERS
In preparation, they are commonly dried, coated and fried, stuffed, or used in mole sauces. Also, they are often roasted and peeled to remove the waxy texture, and preserved by canning or freezing. They are also dried and sold as Ancho Peppers, which are also extremely popular and form the base for many sauces and other recipes.

JALAPENO
Scoville Heat Units: 2,500 – 8,000 SHU

A jalapeno is a fruit of the Capsicum pod type. It is a medium sized hot pepper when compared to other chili peppers, measuring an average of 2-3.5 inches in length but growing up to 6 inches long or longer. While originating in Mexico, it is now grown worldwide for it’s popular flavor and mild heat level, which averages around 5,000 Scoville Heat Units. That is hot, but not too hot. You’ll find them served when green, but if you leave the jalapeno pepper on the plant long enough, it will turn red. The red variety are just as delicious as the green jalapeno pepper, though a touch sweeter.

A mature jalapeno pepper plant measures 2-3 feet in height and will typically produce around 30-40 jalapeno pepper pods. If you grow them in your own garden, pick them regularly, as the plant will continue to produce. Growing jalapeno peppers is fairly easy because the plants are pretty forgiving. Jalapenos start off a bit slow, so it is helpful to start to grow your plants indoors a few weeks (anywhere from 8-12 weeks) before transferring them outside. Keep the early soil and budding plants constantly moist, but do not over water.

COOKING WITH JALAPENO PEPPERS
Remove the stem, chop them, then use them as the recipe calls for. You can core the jalapenos to reduce the overall heat if you’d like. I like to leave the innards intact for that extra bit of kick.
Jalapenos are also wonderful when roasted. You can roast them over an open flame until the skins char and bubble, store in a paper bag till cool, then discard skins. Jalapenos are a staple to pico de gallo and many other simple salsas.

HABANERO
Scoville Heat Units: 100,000 – 350,000 SHU

The habanero is named after the Cuban city of La Habana, known in the U.S. as Havana, because it used to feature in heavy trading there. It is related to the Scotch bonnet pepper; they have somewhat different pod types but are varieties of the same species and have similar heat levels.
It grows mainly on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, where it is now thought to have originated, though it also grows in other hot climates including in Belize, in Costa Rica, in parts of the United States, and in Panama where it is known as the aji chombo.

With its terrific heat, its hint-of-citrus and fruity flavor and its flowery aroma, it has once again become a well-loved ingredient in many preparations including hot sauces and other spicy foods. In Mexico, it is sometimes soaked in tequila or mezcal bottles for days or even weeks in order to make drinks even more fiery.

WHY ARE HABANEROS SO POPULAR?
Habaneros are popular because of their heat and flavor, as they lend themselves to many different types of dishes. For most spicy food lovers, the more you eat hot and spicy foods, the more you crave that heat. However, the more you eat, the more of a tolerance you build, and therefore need more and more of it to quench that craving. Habaneros are plenty hot to satisfy that spicy desire. They’re also very easy to grow and the plants are extremely productive, making them widely available at very reasonable costs.

ARBOL
Scoville Heat Units: 50,000-65,000 SHU

Chiles de Árbol are small and thin Mexican peppers, growing to 2-3 inches long and less than a ½ inch wide. They mature to a bright, vibrant red, and are harvested and used at this stage. Chile de Árbol means “tree chili” in Spanish, a name which refers to the woody stem of the pepper.
Other names for this pepper include Bird’s beak chile, and Rat’s tail chile. These peppers may be sold fresh, dried or powdered. The dried whole chilies are often used to make chili pepper wreaths, or ristras, because when dried they keep their deep red color

COOKING WITH CHILES DE ARBOL
Chile de arbol peppers can be used in any dish to add heat and spice, especially chili, salsa, and hot sauces. It usually only takes a few peppers added to a pot for significant heat. One of the most popular recipes using these peppers is chile de arbol salsa, which can be made from either fresh or dried chiles.
When working with dried chile de arbol peppers, you can either grind them into chili powders or flakes and use them as a seasoning, or rehydrate them by soaking them in very hot water for 15-20 minutes until they are soft, then process them with other ingredients to make a fresh chile de arbol salsa or sauce.

It is believed that Chiles de Arbol peppers are derived from the cayenne pepper, and can be traded with the cayenne or the pequin pepper when cooking. They are very hot, so be sure to wash your hands after handling them. Other options include guajillo peppers, crushed red pepper flakes, or cayenne powder, depending on the recipe you are working from.

CAYENNE
Scoville Heat Units: 30,000 – 50,000 SHU

The cayenne pepper is a thin chili pepper, green to red in color, about 2 to 5 inches long. The “cayenne pepper” spice you use mostly in pizza restaurants is the dried, ground version of this pepper. It belongs to the nightshade family of flowering plants and are related to bell peppers and jalapenos.

The cayenne is a bright red chili ranging from 2-5 inches long and about 1/2 inch in diameter. Cayenne chilies are usually sold as a powder, as cayenne pepper. The word cayenne comes from the city of Cayenne in French Guiana. Cayenne is great in soups and sauces, on pizzas, as well as over meats and seafoods. Keep it on the table in a shaker as an alternative to salt or pepper.

The cayenne pepper is a sub-tropical to tropical plant natively, but they can be grown as annuals in temperate climates as well. They can even be overwintered if protected from frost. Cayenne plants like some heat with a longer growing season and lots of sun, though they can react poorly to too much heat as much as too much cold.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF CAYENNE
Cayenne contains numerous medicinal properties and are good for your health. Studies have indicated that cayenne and other hot peppers can help boost your metabolism for weight loss, curb your appetite, lower blood pressure, aid digestion, relieve pan and reduce some Cancer risks. Of course you should always seek medical advice from your physician if using cayennes or other peppers for health reasons, such as pain relief, but they are quite healthy for you.